


Silver stars around her eye

by owlaholic68



Series: Greek Mythology AU [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Animal Death, Asphyxiation, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, Family Issues, Gen, Hallucinations, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Minor Character Death, Mythology References, Prophecy, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-01-05 03:51:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlaholic68/pseuds/owlaholic68
Summary: The Sixth Courier, marked by the Gods and bent by their will, faces six trials.





	1. Prologue

“Seven couriers sailed to sea one day,” a wrinkled storyteller starts. A crowd gathers, curious of the tale she was to tell, a tale unlike any other they’d heard. “Seven brave souls tempted Ulysses’ wrath. They braved storms, tempests, and earthquakes which rocked their caravans and ships. Seven couriers sailed to sea, and six returned.”

A toddler in her mother’s lap sticks a grubby hand in the air. “Where were they going?” Her mother quietly chides her for interrupting, but the grizzled storyteller simply nods at the child, as if acknowledging their reasonable curiosity.

“All in due time, child. The seven couriers had each been tasked with delivering a sacred object to House, lord on high in the celestial temple of Vegas. Each one carried an artifact, and each one delivered, as promised. Save one. The First Courier arrived at the gates of Vegas, then the Second, the Third, and Fourth. The Fifth arrived late, but they arrived all the same. Then the Gods waited. They waited for months. No one, not even the highest of gods, not even the eldest, have ever seen House, but they felt his impatience.” The storyteller leans forward. “Then the Seventh arrived. The Seventh told of great storms and monstrous foes in their path, but they arrived. But instead of appeasing House, the arrival of the Seventh only signified one thing: the disappearance of the Sixth. Vegas was rocked by disaster after disaster. Many Gods fled, terrified of House’s anonymous wrath.”

The adults look amused at the story, the children at their feet clutching their parent’s garments in fear. Everyone knew of House’s power, his ability to sow destruction throughout the land.

“But then an omen appeared,” the storyteller smiles knowingly. “While House raged, the wonders of his temple in Vegas were darkened. No torch shone, no window was opened. But one day, the light on top of House’s temple was lit. A star fell from the sky, and guided by Tandi herself, fell to the sconce, lighting it with holy flame.” The crowd gasps. The storyteller pauses for dramatic effect. “That same day, a messenger came to Vegas with news. Incredible news of a marked mortal, six stars around her eye and only the emptiness of the Wordless One in her head. The Sixth had been found.”

The storyteller smiles and settles in to tell this epic tale. “But that is not where the Sixth’s story ends. Gather around and listen. Listen, and by listening, learn of this mortal’s quest.”


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beginning.

Greece was known for its beaches, for its vast expanses of shifting sands and sparkling waters. Fishermen languished in the evening sun after an exhausting day of work, their shoes scattered in the plush sand. They were but a pinprick in the distance, the rest of the beach still, only the gentle rustling of the sand heard. It was a gorgeous sight, the inspiration for many a painter or poet. A beautiful beach to relax on.

Not a very good beach to die on.

A woman lies halfway in the water, facedown and unmoving. One of her muscular arms is outstretched, her ashen cheek resting on it. Waves lap at her bare legs, soaking her already ruined boots. Her simple dress, plain white and falling to her knees, is drenched in seawater and dark blood. More blood is caked on the left side of her face and blending in with her burgundy hair. The only sign that she’s still alive is the barely-noticeable rise and fall of her chest, her weak breaths between gray lips rippling the sand.

The woman doesn’t wake at the sound of hooves. She doesn’t even stir when a pair of strong arms gently lifts her, her head lolling back and revealing the extent of her injuries. The mysterious person softly rides away from the beach, away from the blood-stained sand and towards flickering lights in the distance.

* * *

She awakens to the sound of bare feet on a wooden floor and a dim light shining in her eyes. She groans and tries to curl up to avoid the searing pain in her head, but someone stops her with a cool hand on her forehead.

“Easy there,” a gravelly voice says, helping her slowly sit up. She opens her eyes and winces at the way light dances behind her eyes, like the million torches of Freeside dance in the night.

“Who,” she croaks, “what-” The old man hands her a small cup of water, which she hastily chokes down. “Where am I?” She notices that she’s in the same clothing she was in…before. She tries to follow the thought, tries to remember what happened, but a pounding headache blocks her way.

The old man sits back when it appears she can stay upright on her own. “Goodsprings. We’re a small fishing village, not far from where ol’ Vic found you. You’re in the temple right now.” His eyes flicker to the left side of her face. “I’m Doctor Mitchell. Can you tell me what your name is?”

“Lynn.” She’s glad to be sure of that. “What’s going on? What happened?” Suddenly, she remembers something important, something she can’t believe she’d momentarily forgotten. “Where’s my gear?” She checks her hip, but the leather pouch that should be there is missing.

Doctor Mitchell catches her by the shoulders as she abruptly stands up and almost falls. “All you had on you was a handful of coins and a small dagger,” he indicates the items laying at the foot of her cot. “What are you missing?”

“A small disk,” Lynn explains, a pool of icy ink starting to sink in her belly, “made of some foreign material, shiny and heavy. I was supposed to deliver it to Vegas.” The doctor raises his eyebrows at her words. “It was a long journey, but Ulysses’ winds were favorable. I had almost reached the coast when my ship was attacked by pirates.” Lynn shivers at the memory of the battle: a chaotic mess of spears and javelins. She had tried to stay below deck and let the warriors battle, but some of the pirates had burst into her compartment. She had only been able to take down one of them before the others overpowered her, dragging her to the deck kicking and spitting curses. Their leader, outfitted in gaudy black and white-patterned robes, had spoken to her, taunted her as he took the precious package she was to deliver. Then he had hefted his spear, and then there was the _pain_ , then the cold numbness of the ocean water that shocked her into unconsciousness.

The doctor nods through her story, then does a quick examination before declaring that she is fit to leave. “Your recovery has been blessed by the Gods,” he mentions, then hesitates before handing her a small mirror, “and they have thus chosen to mark you.”

Lynn gasps and almost drops the mirror. There’s a large scar above her eyebrow where the spear struck her, but what’s more striking is a circle of silver stars around her left eye. She counts six, standing out and shimmering against her dark skin.

Doctor Mitchell notices her shock, and gently takes the mirror from her hand. “I can give you some fresh clothing and supplies.” Lynn nods, still thinking about her new facial adornment. _Why did they do this to me?_ “And you should stop and see Victor before leaving town. He’s the one who found you and brought you back here. He might be able to help you track down the man who attacked you.”

“Thank you,” Lynn musters a smile. She absently traces the stars, then stops herself. “Thank you.”

* * *

People in the city whisper and stare as Lynn walks by. A group of children are less discrete, loudly asking their parents about the ‘lady with all of the stars around her eye’. The adults shush them and usher their children to the other side of the street. Vendors in the bustling market stop shouting their wares when she passes.

Lynn sighs and wishes she had a hat to hide under. She hefts her bag higher on her shoulder, a string of freshly killed rabbits hanging from it. She’s dusty from the voyage under the merciless sun, and she only wants to find a merchant with whom she can exchange her kills for some coin or provisions. After that, she still needs to find a place to sleep, and someone to ask for directions.

Before she had left Goodsprings, she had followed the doctor’s advice and spoken to Vic. Vic, to her surprise, was a large centaur with grey eyes and an odd accent. He had no information regarding her attackers, save that they had traveled to the north. He advised her to travel to the celestial heights of Vegas in search of answers, assuring her that House, the recipient of her failed delivery, would be able to help her. A week later, she had entered this small city.

“Excuse me,” she tries to stop someone, but they shudder and pass her by. “Do you know where-” They touch a necklace around their neck and quickly shuffle away. Lynn tries in vain to catch the eye of a merchant, but they all avoid her eye, shrinking back into their shaded booths. So she trudges down another street, turning onto a quieter alley. Only a few stalls are selling wares here, mostly piled high with junk and useless trinkets.

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” Lynn approaches a booth where an old woman labors, sharpening a spear. The old woman looks up at Lynn and smiles, her eyes milky white and unseeing.

“Yes, dear?” The old woman smiles, showing a mouth almost completely empty of teeth. “Is there something I can help you with? You sound lost.”

“I’m in need of supplies for a long voyage. Is there anywhere I could go to purchase that sort of thing?” Lynn unclips the string of rabbits from her pouch and guides the woman’s hand to touch them. “In addition, if you would be willing to exchange these rabbits for money, that would really help me.”

The old woman feels her hand around the fur, then nods. “Of course, dear. These will make a fine stew for my old bones. Here,” she digs into a pocket and produces a small purse, then carefully counts out a collection of coins, wrinkled fingers examining each one as she places them on the table. “You can find those sorts of things two aisles east of this alley. There’s a lovely inn around there, the Spiny Lizard, run by a kind fellow. It’s cheap, too.” Lynn takes the coins and tucks them into her purse, then turns to leave while the old woman rambles. “Wonderful food, that inn has. Not too far from the temple of the Forecaster, if you’re in need of that sort of thing.”

“Much thanks,” Lynn takes mental note of the temple. She should make a small offering to the gods for safe travel before leaving. But now, she desires nothing more than a clean bed and warm meal.

* * *

The temple is small and unassuming, tucked between the many inns and restaurants clustered around it. Lynn’s not sure how many other temples she’s visited, but this whole place feels off. As soon as she steps foot inside the dim space, a heavy blanket of silence falls over her ears, blocking out all sound from the busy street outside. The altar in front of her is simple, a few bowls and knives scattered across the surface just under a statue of the patron deity.

Lynn blinks, unable to focus on the image portrayed. A man posing with a spear, a woman with a bowl in her arms, an old woman hunched over, a dog, a king, all these images shifting and ever-changing. She tears her eyes away from the disturbing icon at the sound of a soft cough.

“The Forecaster has been waiting for you,” a priestess whispers, and steers Lynn through a small door she hadn’t noticed before.

“What?” Lynn turns to demand an explanation, but the priestess is already gone, the door sliding shut behind her. The room she’s been more or less shoved into is fashioned from plain gray stone. The walls are unadorned, lacking even a window. The air smells bitter and waxy, a single candle sitting on a wooden bench. A small figure looks up from the candle, a rough sack over their face. They wear jewelry on every available inch of their body, countless necklaces glittering around their slender neck, rings and bracelets on their hands, pins decorating their simple linen robe.

“You are the one.” The voice is high and young. “You are the lost Sixth.”

“Excuse me?” Lynn coughs from the dusty air that clings to the back of her throat. “Who are you? How do you know me?”

“Please, sit down.” The child points to a bench across from him. Hesitantly, Lynn does so. He looks up at her, sack still concealing his facial features. “I would like to See for you. I am the Forecaster. I See things even I do not understand.” He reaches a hand to the edge of the sack and starts to pull it off, then pauses with the edge just under his nose. “Please do not be frightened. I do not know what I will See until I See it, but I know that it is true.” And he slips the sack from his head, revealing a pale child with large black eyes. He blinks once.

Then the Forecaster jerks back as if struck. He slumps over, chin tucked to his chest, as if the heavy jewelry around his neck is pulling him down. Then his head snaps back up, his eyes glowing bright white. He speaks with a voice unfitting of his young appearance, his flaming orbs staring right into Lynn’s wide eyes. “Forecast: Rapidly changing conditions. You will face six trials, marked one.”

“The First trial will be the most difficult, and will not be completed in a single day.” The Forecaster pauses and searches her face. “You must know what you want.”

Lynn laughs. “That’s it? Know what I want? What kind of challenge is that?”

The Forecaster shakes his head and smiles. “Well, then. What _do_ you want, marked one?”

“I want,” Lynn realizes with dawning horror that she _doesn’t_ know. There’s an empty spot in her head where her goals are, where a piece of herself is missing. How can she know what she wants when she doesn’t even know herself? Was she just going to let destiny carry her forward, let the waves push her around until she hit the shoals and sank? “I see.” She nods for the Forecaster to continue.

“The Second: The Old One, the Banished Hermit, will find you. He will make you do _things_ in his name, and you will have no choice. Bide your time, hate him with a polite mouth. You will have your moment, but you must be patient.”

“The Third: A monster will ask you to ‘take care’ of another, far deadlier, foe.” The Forecaster winks. “You may interpret his request any way you wish.”

“The Fourth: A disease will threaten a great city, and they will plead for your aid. Do not bother with mortal cures. Turn your eyes to the Gods, and they will lead you to an ally.”

“I know not of the Fifth trial’s contents, but I can see one thing: When it happens, you will know it. You must be quick to react.”

The Forecaster leans forward, eyes still ablaze with white light, and grabs her shoulders. The child smiles wide, teeth bared, and hisses:

“The Sixth trial: a choice”.

Then the fire winks out in his eyes and the Forecaster wearily slides the sack over his face, obscuring his eyes once more. He yawns, waving a bejeweled hand towards the exit.

“Wait, please,” Lynn stands up, her mind still reeling from all that was said. “What does any of that mean?”

The Forecaster shrugs. “That’s up to you to figure out, marked one. Goodbye.” He reaches over to the candle and, with a pinch of his sparkling fingers, extinguishes the flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be longer, but I realized that a LOT goes down after this, and we meet several important new characters, so I didn't want to rush it and throw it in with this.


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Trial begins, but it does yet not end.

Lynn catches a whiff of smoke. She's on the road headed north to Vegas, having long left the city behind. A tall mountain pokes over the horizon, but she prefers to keep her head down and avoid thinking about it. At the smell of smoke, she looks up from the dusty road beneath her feet, adjusting the wide-brimmed hat on her head.

Before her smolders the wreck of a large village, smoke rising in thick columns from the low rooftops. Lynn grimaces at the sweet smell of decay and death that the wind carries to her face, but there's no way around without venturing into the dark forest. She steels herself and continues towards the scene of destruction, pulling the hat low over her face. Hopefully, the attackers or bandits or whatever had destroyed this village would be long gone.

As she approaches the gate, however, a figure leans against the fence. Lynn freezes, then turns to leave, but he looks up and fixes her with a stare cold enough to rival the unexplored depths of Ulysses’ watery realm.

“Halt, traveler.” the man’s voice is reedy and harsh, full of authority. He straightens and holds a spear in his right hand, easily and without a direct hostility. But the threat is there all the same. “You’re just in time to bear witness to my work. This town,” he waves to the ruins behind him. Bodies of men, women, children, animals, lay in heaped piles. “This town was corrupt, full to burst with vice and wanton greed. Have you ever been to Nipton before, traveler?”

Lynn shrugs, staring resolutely at her feet. Something about this man, something about his casual cruelty, discourages her from looking directly at him. “I don't know.”

“You don't know?” he squints at her and draws closer until he stands a few feet away. “I would caution you against lying to a God, woman. Answer the question truthfully.”

 _A God?_ Lynn peeks up at him. He’s short and pale, an unruly mess of short blond hair peeking out from a helmet. She doesn't recognize him at all, but his posture exudes power. She inclines her head in respect. “I'm sorry. I don't know who you are. And I'm not lying.”

“Who are you, who does not know of Vulpes, son of Caesar? Where do you come from?” His spear is held at the ready.

Lynn shrinks back, afraid of angering this God even more than she already has. “I don't know! I'm sorry, I'm just a courier. I mean no disrespect.” She holds her breath.

Vulpes frowns. “A courier?” He raises his spear and flips it so the blunt end is pointed at her. With a deft flick of his wrist, he hits the hat from Lynn's head, sending it flying to the grass on the side of the road. Vulpes stares at her face, at the stars twinkling around her eye. After a tense moment, he smiles, his pale eyes still cold and calculating. “I see. I had not believed the rumors, but it seems that they ring true.” He shifts his spear to rest across his shoulder. Lynn relaxes, her shoulders losing just a fraction of their tension now that the weapon is no longer pointed at her. His eyes on her mark still make her stomach twist and turn, so she seeks to avoid his sharp gaze as soon as possible.

“Excuse me,” she stoops to retrieve her hat, shaking it once before straightening up. Vulpes is suddenly inches from her face. Lynn flinches when he puts a hand on her cheek, fingers thoughtfully stroking one of the silver stars. “Don’t touch me,” she whispers, but can’t find the will to move away, like a mouse caught in the gaze of a tiger. She wills her legs to move, begs her neck to jerk away, but she’s frozen in place.

“Fascinating, to be marked thus by the Gods,” Vulpes murmurs, as if he had not heard her words. His fingertips are icy and smooth, as if made from iron instead of flesh.

Lynn feels a sick wave of revulsion rise in her throat. How could someone with so much blood on their hands, someone who had just thoughtlessly murdered an entire town, have the audacity to touch her skin and taint it with such cruelty? The voice of the Forecaster comes to her:

_What is it you want?_

_Not this._

She grabs Vulpes’ wrist and wrenches his arm away, then hits him across the cheek with the palm of her hand. The resounding _crack_ echoes in her ears. She stumbles back a few steps until enough distance is between them, until her stomach stops churning with dread. “Don’t _touch_ me,” she snarls.

Vulpes’ face cycles through a few different expressions, no longer able to hide his emotions: shock, anger, more anger. Then he pastes on smug smile, putting a hand on his hip and taking a step closer. “Courier-”

Lynn backs up two steps. “No. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’m leaving.” Before her courage fails her, she forces herself to turn her back to Vulpes and walk away. She thinks she hears a soft chuckle, but she doesn’t turn around, not until she’s quickly walked through the ruins of Nipton. Only when she no longer smells the sweet smoke does she sneak a glance over her shoulder. The road behind her is empty. All the same, she doesn’t sleep that night.

* * *

Lynn is lost.

She turns down another street, winces at the chafe of her feet in her worn boots. She makes her way through the slums of the city, following her instinct and always keeping one eye on the mountain looming above her. Legends spoke of a path, a nearly endless winding staircase that led up to the peak, Vegas, the God’s home. It was better than trying to scale the sheer face of the mountain.

Lynn sighs and rubs her eyes, her fingers skittering over the stars. She shivers, remembering a more vile set of fingers over those same marks. She instinctively checks behind her: no unwanted followers. It’s been more than a week since she met Vulpes, but she still feels his eyes on her back. Sometimes she hears noises at night, unholy footsteps following her on an empty road.

_What do you want, marked one?_

_Just to know the way. Just not to be alone anymore._

A bark catches her attention. A small brown dog at her feet yaps and runs a small circle around her feet, barking incessantly.

“Shush,” she hisses. A few beggars in the alley raise their heads and stare at her, but quickly lose interest. “What do you want? I don’t have any food to give you.”

The dog barks and scampers away a few feet, then pauses and looks back at her with intelligent eyes. It seems like it’s waiting for her to follow. When she hesitates, the dog lets out a frustrated huff and flips one of its floppy ears, revealing a small silver star on the underside. Lynn sighs and starts to follow the dog. _A guide from the Gods could not come in an odder package. Why a dog?_

The dog leads her for almost thirty minutes through the city, bringing her from slums to rich neighborhoods and back again, always keeping an eye out to ensure her continued presence. Eventually, the dog seems to slip into a crack between two houses that Lynn can barely perceive. Her eyes seem to skim past the space, but she closes her eyes and slips through, emerging into an empty alleyway. The dog is nowhere in sight.

In front of her is a staircase made of pearly white marble, the steps polished and bright. It stretches on and on, twists above her into the clouds at the peak of the mountain. Lynn takes a deep breath, then puts her foot on the first step.

* * *

Night falls, and she’s still climbing the steps. As the last strings of sunlight fall below the horizon, Lynn comes across a hot spring just off the staircase, half-hidden behind a few bushes. There’s a few golden braziers lit. The flickering light falls upon a long white gown laid out across some rocks. The gown, when she curiously touches it, is light and soft, with small silver embroidery on the hem. Next to the dress is a short red cape with a golden brooch.

Lynn ceases her examination of the garments in favor of enjoying the hot spring. The steaming water soothes her aching muscles, relaxes the tension between her shoulders, dulls the burning blisters on her feet. She languishes as long as she can reasonably allow before using a nearby strip of cloth to dry herself.

She dresses in the fine garments, brushing her hands over the fabric in appreciation. Her old clothes are carefully packed into her bag, to be washed later. Lynn fashions the cape over her shoulder and slips her feet into a soft pair of plain sandals. Only then does she notice a small pile of jewelry that lay hidden under the cloak.

An armband, a pair of bracelets, three rings, a small chain necklace, several hair ornaments, and a pair of earrings, all silver and bright. Lynn hesitates before putting them on, but reasons that whoever left this gift, most likely House, would be displeased if she did not wear them. _It would be unwise to unnecessarily anger anyone at this point._ So she dons the jewelry. Her head is heavy, and she can hardly move her arms from the weight of the silver.

With effort, she stands and picks up her bag, passing the pool of milky water and catching a glimpse of her reflection. She abruptly stops and stares at herself. Finely dressed, beautifully ornamented. More like a Goddess than a woman.

_What is it you want?_

_I want to be myself._

Lynn all but tears the armband and bracelets off, lets the rings fall from her fingers with heavy _plinks_ on the stone beneath her. The necklace slides smoothly from her neck, the earrings following suit. She hesitates with her hands on one of the hair ornaments: a comb in the shape of a silver crescent moon. Staring at her reflection, she makes a decision and leaves that in her hair as the only ornamentation on her body.

Even the gown is the wrong shape, the wrong silhouette for her athletic habits. An idea suddenly comes to her, an old memory of hiking up her skirt to play in a river. She cleverly adjusts her belt and tucks the fabric in the just the right way so that the hem becomes shorter on one side than the other. Lynn runs her hands over her face and takes another look at herself in the water. She nods in approval.

Then she steps back onto the staircase, the moon lighting her way up the marble steps.

* * *

The stairs end. Lynn steps onto a small platform and gazes in wonder at the city before her. Luxurious temples mingle with sprawling mansions, fragrant gardens tucked in every available space, flowers sprouting from every inch of dirt. Even in the moonlight, Vegas seems to glow with an inner light. Gods and Goddesses stroll along the golden paths, elegant and otherworldly beautiful.

Lynn hesitates. Where is House’s temple? She looks around, but there is no indication as to the correct path. She’s about to turn to the left when someone calls out to her.

“Hail, Courier!” Vic the centaur gallops up to her and waves a hand in greeting. “I’m glad to see that you made it up here. House has been impatiently awaiting your arrival. Come, I’ll guide you to him.”

Lynn lets out a quiet sigh of relief. It’s good to see a familiar face, even though it’s an unusual one. She walks alongside Vic, who canters along the path next to her. They pass decorative ponds, small waterfalls with pools full of sweet-smelling lilies, and well-manicured gardens. A few Gods take notice at her presence, raising eyebrows at her passage. Lynn avoids their eyes in favor of observing the décor.

They pass an austere red and gold temple, a familiar silhouette leaning against one of the front pillars. Lynn freezes for a second and nearly trips, but disguises the motion as a simple adjustment of the hem of her dress. Vulpes leans with arms crossed, sharp eyes pinned on her, the rest of his face neutral. As Lynn gets closer to him, she debates the merits of ignoring him and perhaps causing offence, or calling out and inviting a conversation. Before she can decide, Vulpes makes the decision for her.

“Courier.” He just barely inclines his head towards her.

“Vulpes.” Lynn bows her head, then continues on her way. Apparently, she was respected enough to simply be acknowledged, and nothing more or less. _Suits me well enough._

House’s temple is tall, towering far above the trees and other buildings. Hundreds of lights shine from its many high windows. One large sconce is perched on the building’s highest point, shining with an unearthly flame that hurts to look at. The most striking this is the lack of plant life around the temple: no potted plants on the steps leading up to the door, no sprawling gardens. The effect is of a cold tower. Lynn, climbing the steps, can’t help but shiver slightly at the eerie silence, broken only by the clatter of Vic’s hooves.

The door pushes open under her hand. Lynn steps forward, then stops and looks back at Vic.

The centaur patiently waits by the side of the door. “You go on inside, now. He’s waiting. What grand honor to see him!” Vic smiles wide and Lynn inwardly cringes at the sharp teeth in the otherwise human-looking mouth. “You’ll be the first one to have an audience with House since, well, the dawn of time!”

 _No pressure, then._ Lynn swallows hard and enters the antechamber of House’s temple, closing the door behind her. This chamber is grand and elegant, a few plush chairs and low tables scattered about. A heavy layer of dust hangs over everything, hiding the glamourous and intricate carvings on the wood of the chairs, on the ceiling, on every inch possible of the room. In the center of the room is a spiraling staircase. Lynn climbs up to the next floor. This floor, when she peeks in one of the doors, appears to be a luxurious suite, covered with the same layer of dust as the first floor.

The next floor, a beautiful woman is waiting for Lynn.

“Welcome,” the woman says, inclining her head slightly. “My name is Jane. I am a nymph in service to House.”

Lynn takes a second look at the woman. Though she’s dressed just as elegantly as Lynn, albeit with more jewelry, there’s something wild and rough about her. Lynn, remembering her manners, tears her eyes from the woman and bows her head. “Nice to meet you.”

“House is waiting for you,” Jane sweeps a hand towards a marble doorway. Lynn peeks through the doorway. A short figure is standing by a window, their back to her, their hands folded across their back. She takes a deep breath and enters the room, keeping her head held high.

The man turns, and Lynn realizes that something’s…wrong with him. His fingers are almost transparent, his eyes glassy and colorless. His dark hair is slicked back a little _too_ smoothly, the brooch on the shoulder of his long velvet cape sparkling just a little _too_ brightly. Even the way he turns is odd, as if he doesn’t really know how a body works. It all points to one conclusion: this is some sort of illusion or projected double, not the real House.

“Ah, there you are, Courier. This meeting has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” He gestures towards a low couch. “Please, be seated. No need for formalities.” Lynn sits on the cushion, back straight and strong like a tree. House stays standing across from her, reinforcing her theory. He frowns at her appearance, but shakes his head and makes no comment. “You’ve come a long way, literally and, I suspect, figuratively as well.” He chuckles, voice dark and dry. “I had assumed that the Wordless One herself had plucked you from that ocean, but it seems you have more tenacity than originally expected.”

Lynn feels a question bubble up in her throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, who was the man that stole the artifact and nearly killed me?”

House sighs. “An employee of mine, my protégé. His name is Benny. Apparently, he found out about its existence, and foolishly thought he could use it to further his own plans.”

“Where is Benny now? How can I find him?”

“Ah, seeking revenge?” House smirks at her.

“No,” Lynn declares, surprising herself. _He doesn’t know me. I know me. What do I want?_ “I want to set things right.”

He raises a dark eyebrow and steps closer. “Interesting. Benny, unfortunately, has hidden himself in a place out of my reach, rendering himself invisible to even the most dedicated of my spies. This is unacceptable. This is what I need your weak mortal eyes for. Search far and wide, Courier. When you have found Benny, your first priority is to obtain the artifact and return it to me. Then we’ll talk.”

Lynn blinks and he’s disappeared. “Wait-” She stands up and steps forward, but House does not reappear. She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, dislodging the silver pin. “I didn’t even agree to anything,” she mutters.

_What do I want?_

_I don’t know._ She picks up her bag and trudges towards the door. _He didn’t even give me a chance to decide. Why did I even come up here? Just because Vic told me I should, doesn’t mean I was being forced to. I’m sick of all of these Gods making my decisions for me._

_When did my freedom to say ‘no’ slip away?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ???What is Vic without his ridiculous accent???? 
> 
> The mental image of Blond Vulpes makes me hate him so much more, but it's actually plot-relevant, so I had to?
> 
> Next chapter: The Second Trial: a familiar story, with a twist.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar story, but with a twist.

Lynn walks through a forest, following a faint dirt path between the tall trees. She has long left the city on the side of the mountain behind (Freeside, she had learned was its name, for its ‘free’ atmosphere). Her goal is a city to the north, where a man in gaudy black and white robes was rumored to have been sighted. Benny.

She briefly touches a small necklace hanging around her neck. It’s in the form of a pair of golden wings. Vic the centaur had given it to her, saying it would instantly transport her to the gates of Vegas if needed, saving her tedious travel time. Vic had also informed her that the luxurious suite in House’s towering temple was hers to use as she pleased. The suite was equipped with a hot bath, a small kitchen, and several bedrooms and lounging areas. It even came stocked with a full wardrobe of clothing for her, countless pairs of sturdy boots and light hats, tunics and dresses in every color imaginable.

Lynn rubs her eye and yawns. She’d packed up camp early that morning, eager to make her way through the creepy forest as quickly as possible. She kept hearing unearthly noises, kept seeing flashes of _something_ moving through the trees.

“Help! Somebody, please help! Oh Gods!” a young voice yells out to her from the forest to her left. The voice screams in pain, then falls silent. Lynn is already running, rushing through densely-packed bushes and ducking under low-hanging branches. She runs for more than a minute before stopping to catch her breath.

“Hello?” she calls out. “Where are you?”

Nobody answers. Not even a bird sings.

“Hello?” Lynn yells again. She turns back the way she came, only to find the way blocked by thorny bramble. The small clearing she finds herself in is silent, no sign of someone in distress. Something starts to twist in her stomach. _Something’s wrong here. I don’t know what it is, but this feels like a trap._ She looks for the sun to regain her sense of direction, but the tall trees block her view. _I could climb a tree to get a good idea of the area. Maybe I could see the path from here._ Lynn approaches a gnarled tree that looks like it has plenty of good handholds.

A thin vine wraps around her ankle and tugs her off-balance. Lynn flails and tries to steady herself with other foot, but a tree root twines around that foot and holds it in place, locked against her other ankle.

“Ah!” Lynn gasps as her back hits a tree. She reaches for the short sword at her hip. With an unearthly creak, the branches of the tree curl around her wrists and wrench her arms painfully behind her back. A pair of thick roots snake up her legs until they grip her knees, and a few leafy vines wrap around her waist and shoulders, holding her immobile against the rough bark of the tree behind her.

“Help! Let me go!” She screams into the quiet forest. She’s so far from the path now, is there even anyone around to hear? And if they do, what if they just get drawn into a trap too? At her cry, the tree tightens its grasp, sharp branches biting into her skin. She twists her wrists and struggles against the tree, but it simply constricts even more. She yells again for someone to help, _anyone_ , and everything’s burning, her hands and feet starting to go numb from the excruciatingly painful hold. She tries to kick at the tree with a shout, tries to free her wrists with a cry. Her hands are trapped between her body and the tree, rubbing harshly against the bark with every move she makes. She pushes through the pain and continues to struggle, yelling at the top of her lungs. _I’m going to die here, if only this damned tree would stop moving- Wait._

Her entire body going numb, Lynn is shocked back into reason, closing her eyes and forcing herself to stay completely still. The branches and vines holding her prisoner loosen infinitesimally. She holds her breath and they relax even more, until their grip is uncomfortable but no longer painful. Her fingers tingle and burn, the blood returning to them bit by bit.

Tears prickle the corner of her eyes. She’s trapped, she’s alone. Who’s doing this to her? What do they want? Why can’t they just let her go? She takes a deep breath. If she’s going to get through this, it’ll only be by remaining calm.

She waits for only a few minutes before she hears a crinkle of leaves, the sound of soft footsteps coming closer. Whoever it is, they’re walking slowly and deliberately, muttering something to themselves. She bites her lip to keep from calling out to them, afraid the tree might punish her for speaking out of turn. Eventually, a hunched figure walks around the tree and stops in front of her.

He’s wearing a long shabby cloak that covers his face and clothing. His spindly fingers twist and curl in his long grey beard, tugging on loose leaves and twigs stuck in it. He peers up at her from beneath the cowl of his hood. Lynn remains silent and still, though a million questions dance on her tongue.

“Smart girl,” the old man croaks, his voice an unfriendly growl. “Smarter than the others, for sure.” He tilts his head and steps closer, angling his chin up and inspecting her eye. “And for good cause, apparently. One such as you was not marked by the Gods for no reason. Perhaps what is required here is intelligence, not brute strength.” He hums and strokes his beard.

Lynn clears her throat. “What would you have me do, Sire?” she asks with a shaking voice, all too aware of the situation she finds herself in. Her Second Trial. _Bide your time, hate him with a polite mouth._

The Old One chuckles. “Even smarter than I originally estimated. Those who fall into my trap usually hurl curses at me, or plead for their pathetic lives. Those that manage to think rationally long enough to stop uselessly struggling, that is. What I want, Courier, is the rescue of my dear daughter.”

 _What? That’s all?_ Lynn frowns and wiggles her fingers to stop them from tingling. “That doesn’t seem so difficult, Sire, if you don’t mind me saying.” _There’s really no reason to trap people and force them to help with a rescue mission. Any hero would jump at the opportunity to prove themselves with such a daring feat. Unless he’s lying._

“It wouldn’t be so difficult, if my sweet child hadn’t been abducted by the wicked Wordless One herself!” His voice raises in anger.

“Um, sorry, who?” Lynn feels not even a stir of recognition at the title.

The man squints at her, then nods. “Ah, yes. Mind empty as her voice, and all that. The Queen of the Underworld stole my child. She was playing in the fields, picking flowers and singing. She had a supreme gift with nature, could make flowers bloom under her feet, even in the coldest tundra.” He clenches his bony fist and paces a few feet. “But that vile creature plucked my gentle daughter and dragged her, screaming and pleading for help, down to her shadowy and terrible depths.”

“You want me to go to the Underworld? How?” Lynn inwardly shivers at the thought. No one goes to the kingdom of death. Unless they’re dead, of course.

He shrugs. “Some others before you found rifts in the earth. Others dove to the depths of the ocean, far east of the coast. But I trust you’ll find a way, marked one. And if you can’t,” he reaches up and draws a line across her throat, “you won’t live long enough to regret your failure.” Under his finger, the line he drew in her skin starts to tickle. A slender vine sprouts from thin air and spreads until it fully encircles her neck, the ends weaving together to create an unbreakable loop. Then the vine becomes heavy, turning into a cold copper collar and settling firmly around her neck. At the same time, a copper necklace forms around the Old One’s neck, a simple chain with a dark red jewel hanging from it.

Lynn lets out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. She shivers and takes a deep breath, wincing at the bite of the collar as she does. She closes her eyes and tamps down the instinctual panic welling inside of her chest. _It’s going to be okay. I can just get back to Vegas and see if House can take this collar off. Maybe I can even wait until this old man turns his back, then try to get in a lucky hit with my sword. I’ve just got to wait until the right moment._

The Old One motions at the tree, which releases Lynn back onto her trembling legs. She rubs her wrists, making a note to wrap the red and raw skin in some bandages later. When she turns her neck to look for her dropped bag, the cold metal rubs against her neck. She instinctively reaches for the collar, but aborts the motion and lets her hand fall to her side.

When she looks up, the Old One is gone. She sighs in relief and folds her fingers over the winged necklace hanging around her neck. She focuses on the image of Vegas, House’s grandiose temple, and rubs the necklace: once, twice, three times. _Vic said I’d feel tingly, then everything would go dark for a second, then I’d wake up in front of the gates._ However, that is not what happens.

Firstly, no tingling happens. Secondly, the collar around her neck suddenly tightens an inch, and she gasps. The metal is constricting her windpipe, she can’t draw a breath in. Lynn starts panicking and trying to pull the collar off, but it’s too tight, and she’s choking and tears are welling up in her eyes. Everything’s blurring before her, dark shadows overtaking her vision until she winks out of consciousness for an instant, slamming back into reality a second later.

“And here I thought you were smarter than the others,” the Old One admonishes, standing above her, one hand touching the jewel around his neck. Lynn’s fallen to her knees, one hand still curled around the metal of the collar. It’s allowing her to breathe now, but just barely. She’s gasping and coughing, the air burning her throat and tears streaming freely down her cheeks. _I hate him. Why is he **doing** this? All to get back some kid that, according to him, was kidnapped? Why can’t he just go and get her himself? I don’t want to do this. I just want him to leave me alone. _

She slowly pulls herself together while the Old One impassively watches. Finally, her panicked wheezes even out, and she pulls herself to her feet. “I’m sorry, Sire,” she croaks, rubbing her throat. Though her shaking voice remains neutral, her eyes furiously glare at him. She bites back threats, pleas for him to free her, and strings of curses. “I’ll get right to work.”

“See that you do.” He condescendingly sniffs, then turns on his heel and disappears back into the forest. Lynn coughs once more, then picks up her bag and heads to the east.

_You will have your moment, but you must be patient._

_Oh, I will. You just wait._

* * *

Two days later, Lynn kneels on the deck of a small sailboat. Quiet waves lap the hull, a gentle breeze ruffles the roughly sewn sail above her. She’s far from shore, the mountain of Vegas a distant speck in the distance. Her fingers itch to clutch the cold metal collar around her throat, but she resists and instead focuses on the items laid out on the wood at her knees.

A dead cardinal, freshly killed by Lynn that same morning. She had felt guilty about it, quickly murmuring a prayer to whatever God governed nature. There were only a few Gods and Goddesses that she still had knowledge of. Ulysses the ruler of the Sea was one of those who still stuck in her memory. Fickle and strict, he punished all who disrespected him. _Is trying to access the portal to the Underworld that lies beneath his waves disrespect?_ Lynn wasn’t sure if she needed to make an offering, but one did not mess with Ulysses. _Better safe than sorry._

Next is a length of clean white rope. _Red for blood, to show that one is serious about the offering. White for the salt in his oceans._ Her hand hovers over the last item: a small blue pearl that she had found in a pocket, long-forgotten. _Blue for clear skies._

“Ulysses, O Mighty God of the deep and mysterious sea,” Lynn whispers, waving her hand over the objects. “Grant me safe passage into that land,” she swallows nervously, “the land where no living mortal has set foot. In your name I beseech these things.” She gently scoops up the items, then stands and leans over the edge of the boat. “Please,” she whispers, then dumps it all into the sea, watching as the objects sink into the depths.

Immediately, a strong breeze rocks her boat. Lynn grabs the mast for support, watching as clouds start to gather above her. _Oh no._ A loud rumbling starts in the now-black sky, electricity crackling and wind rocking her small craft, filling the sails and pushing her further from land. Lynn closes her eyes and hopes she hasn’t too seriously angered the God. The wind abruptly stops. She looks up and around, now not able to see any trace of solid ground.

Hesitantly, Lynn lets go of the mast and takes a step to the edge of the boat. The crackling electricity grows louder and closer, all her wiry hair standing on end.

Then everything lights up bright white as a long bolt of lightning strikes the helm of the sailboat.

“Ah, AH!” Lynn flinches backwards and trips over the edge, falling backwards into the cold water. Before she sinks into the waves, she swears she sees a dark figure peering down at her from the deck of the boat. Before she has time to panic and flail for the surface, her entire body goes cold and she loses consciousness.

* * *

Lynn lands with a thump on a hard surface. She gasps, expecting to find her lungs filled with seawater, but she can easily breathe. To her surprise, her clothes are completely dry. She sits up and takes a look around the odd space she finds herself in.

The ground is brown, but an odd muted color. The grass is gray, the bark of the pine trees black. The sky, when she cranes her head back to look, is inky black, no stars or moon. Lynn stands on shaky legs. She’s on a dirt path leading down to a river. At the water, a crowd of people – no, not people, but shadowy, almost transparent version of people – are gathered. Lynn looks down at herself. Her skin is still a rich brown, the hem of her dress still a light green, the welts around her wrists still bright red.

 _I must still be alive, somehow._ Lynn slings her bag over her shoulder, pleased that it is somehow still with her, despite not having grabbed it when she fell off the boat. She winces at the tight collar still around her throat, remembering her mission. While she walks towards the water, she reflects on the Old One’s words. _I need to figure out how much of his story was false. He mentioned forcing others to go down here. Maybe I could follow their traces. He also mentioned that the Queen herself kidnapped his daughter. I wonder if anyone’s ever actually tried to ask her about it, or if they all came in swords swinging. Most likely, he’s lying about the entire thing. Why should I trust anything he says?_

Lynn has to push through the crowd to get to the edge of the water. A small rowboat sits at the end of a short wooden dock.

“No payment, no passage,” a tall man in black robes sits in the boat. Lynn looks at his face, then quickly looks away, his facial figures distorted as if they’d been horribly burned. A shadowy figure approaches, and he rejects that one too, citing something about it ‘not being their time yet’.

“Excuse me,” Lynn pushes in front of a ghostly figure.

The man groans and puts his head in his hands at the sight of her. “Oh, Gods, another one of you idiots. Listen, I can’t ferry living people across the river. And before you pull out a sword and start uselessly pointing it at me, no amounts of threats will convince me to let you pass over. I don’t care if you threaten to break my legs, I’m not doing it.”  

Lynn’s shoulders sag. Why did she think it was going to be as easy as just walking in? “I’m sorry. But I really need to get over. Is there anything I can do to convince you? You said you needed payment from these souls. Could I pay you or something?”

The ferryman is already sighing and shaking his head. “Trying to bribe me? You’re going to need something more precious than gold for that. What do you have to offer?”

 _More precious than gold?_ Lynn checks one of her pockets and comes up empty. When she puts her hand in her other pocket, though, something small and round bumps against her fingers. Confused, she pulls out a small blue pearl, the same one she had offered to Ulysses. “Uh, I have this. Will it do?” _Why do I still have this? I threw it into the ocean._

He nods, still frowning. “I’ll accept it. But I need something else. It’s a very rare and precious object, but for a favor this big, it won’t quite cover it.”

“I see.” Lynn thinks for a second. She has nothing else in her possession to give him. _But material objects aren’t the only things of value. What does he want more than anything else?_ She looks around the eerie dock. The shadows behind her only whisper emptily. _He must miss talking to someone._ The river he rows is wide and still, the far shore dark and stonily cold. _He must get lonely._ She clears her throat, shivering from the lack of a breeze. “A story. I’ll give you a story.”

“A story, eh?” The disfigured ferryman smiles. “How about you do one better, and give me a song?” His gray eyes get distant. “Used to know a woman who could charm the sun from the sky with the lilt of her voice. A song and a pearl, that’s all I ask.”

“Okay,” Lynn agrees. _Do I remember any songs? Guess I’ll just have to wing it._ “Thanks.”

She climbs into the boat and hands over the pearl. The ferryman pockets it, then picks up his oars and starts rowing. “You’ve been more compliant than the others that came before you. Name’s Dean, or at least it used to be.”

“I’m Lynn. And I don’t really want to be here, but I,” her fingers brush the collar, “I’m being forced to do this.”

Dean fixes her with an unreadable gaze, then bows his head and focuses on his hands around the oars. “Aren’t we all?” He clears his throat then nods at her. “How about that song now, to brighten this boring passage.”

Lynn nods, trying to remember a tune. Something teases at the edge of her memory, a popular song. She can recall some of the lyrics, but not the notes. _It was accompanied by a lyre._ She bends her elbow and opens her hand, and a small lyre made of soft white light forms under her fingers. She experimentally strums the strings, quickly finding the right notes. She plucks a sweet melody and lets herself slip into the music in an oddly familiar way. She sings:

                _While you live, shine_

_Have no grief in your heart_

_Life exists only for a short while_

_And time demands an end._

Lynn strums a final chord, then the lyre dissipates, leaving her hands empty and trembling. _Why do I know that song? Was I a musician before?_ She wipes away tears she hadn’t been aware of shedding. Across the boat, Dean audibly sniffles.

“Thanks for that.” He stows the oars in the boat and lets the current pull the boat the rest of the way to shore. “Good luck with the rest of your quest. And I’ll give you a tip: the Wordless One speaks in her own way: listen to what she tells you.”

“Thank you, Dean,” Lynn steps onto the dock and waves to the ferryman as he starts his tedious journey to the other side. She turns and sees a stone temple high on a hill in the distance. _That must be the Wordless One’s temple._

* * *

Lynn walks for almost five minutes before she comes to an immense gate made of iron. Shadowy souls are trudging through one by one, walking through a gargantuan set of black furry legs. A house-sized dog with two heads stands at the gate, sniffing those who enter. One head is growling and drooling, the other one observing the scene with narrowed eyes.

 _Another obstacle to get past. Diplomacy worked last time, I don’t see why I can’t try the same this time. Worst case scenario? I die and get to stop ‘working’ for the Old One._ Lynn walks up to the dog, stopping a safe distance away and craning her neck to look up at its two heads.

“Intruder!” The wild head barks.

“What are you doing here, pathetic mortal?” The calm head croons, peering down at her.

“I’m here on a mission,” Lynn responds. “I need to pass, please.” Upon closer inspection, she realizes the large dog is chained to the ground. Its body is covered in thick scars, the most prominent on one of its legs, spelling out three letters: D, O, and G.

“HA!” the wild head laughs. “No live one pass.”

The calm head nods. “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. Dog, kindly eat this human.”

The wild head, Dog, happily barks.

“Wait!” Lynn holds out both hands in what she hopes is a placating gesture. “What can I do to convince you? It’s important, I promise. What would persuade you to let me through?”

“Stop, Dog.” The other head orders. “How interesting. The others that the Old One sent were not as intelligent as you, nor as straightforward. Perhaps we can make a game out of this. It’s been so long since we’ve had any entertainment.”

“A game?”

“Yes. My name is God.” The head tilts in curiosity. “How about this: you correctly answer three riddles, I’ll let you through. How does that sound, foolish mortal?”

Lynn frowns. “I have forgotten much about the world. I’m not sure that would be fair.” She swallows hard and winces. “But I have no other choice. I’ll do it.”

“Good! Good!” Dog yaps.

“We’ll start easy with the first riddle,” God says. “What do you break before you use it?”

 _What? You don’t use broken things._ Lynn puzzles for a moment, then an old memory pushes through the constant fog in her head. Her father is lifting her up to the counter, teaching her how to bake a cake. ‘ _You can’t make a cake without breaking a few eggs. Sometimes you have to make mistakes to achieve your goal._ ’

“An egg,” she confidently replies. God chuckles and nods.

“Me next!” Dog interjects, much to God’s annoyance. “Why 6 afraid of 7?” God groans. If he had hands, his head would be in them.

Lynn tilts her head in confusion. _What does that even mean? Numbers don’t have feelings._ She rubs the side of her head. _Hold on. Dog doesn’t seem so bright. The answer must be really simple._ She quietly counts in her head, _5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Wait. 7, 8, 9. 8. 8. ‘Ate’._ She groans and puts her face in her palm.

“Because 7 ‘ate’ 9,” she responds. _That is the stupidest riddle I’ve ever heard._

“Good!” Dog exclaims. God just rolls his eyes.

“Your last riddle will require a bit more…brain power,” God says. “What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?”

 _These days, it seems like everything. It seems as if every other person wants to use my brain, or my sword, or my emotions for their own gain._ Lynn racks her mind, tries to push past mental barriers in the hope of a solution. She frowns.

“No, answer, pitiful mortal? If you were not smart enough to escape the Old One’s trap, or avoid coming here, perhaps you cannot solve this riddle after all.”

Lynn grits her teeth. _Stop it. Stop calling me that. ‘Poor mortal’, ‘weak human’, ‘Courier’. That’s not my-_ She suddenly straightens. _That’s not my **name**. _ “Your name,” she grins up at the two heads. _It’s not as anyone’s actually been using my name recently. They don’t even care enough to ask. To them, I’m just a title, a role I’ve fulfilled that they can twist for their own means._

The two heads smile and peer down at her.

“Correct.”

“Good! Good! Good!”

“Thank you,” Lynn bows, “for not immediately killing me, and for giving me a chance. My name is Lynn.”

“Lynn, I will let you pass,” God nods at her. “I also have one piece of advice for you: The Old One has one weakness: his blinding anger. Take advantage of that if you wish to succeed.”

Lynn nods, then walks between Dog and God’s enormous legs, starting up a winding path that leads to the dark temple on the hill.

* * *

The temple is made of gray stone flecked with a dark black rock. As Lynn approaches, the soft scent of flowers drifts past her nose, the first smell she’s encountered so far in the Underworld. She sees flashes of color, too, out of place in this drab and depressing structure. A pot of bright red flowers, an ornamental tree, a bunch of wildflowers sitting on the steps leading up the door.

The small front door is open. Lynn cautiously walks through it and finds herself in a small courtyard. Here, more signs of life exist, a few trees flourishing despite the hostile environment. A door at the far end of the courtyard is flanked by two guards: they raise their spears at her approach.

“Halt!” The guard commands. “You should not be here. State your business.”

“I seek an audience with the Wordless One.” Lynn raises her hands to her shoulders. “I’m not here for battle. I seek above all a peaceful solution.”

The guard looks over her. “Very well. But leave your sword and any other weapons with us.”

Lynn hesitates. _What do I want? A non-violent end to this matter. I don’t need my weapons._ She nods and lets the guards search her for hidden weapons. _It still feels uncomfortable to be without them, though._ When the guards are finished, they open the door and wave her through.

The throne room is all gray. Gray and white tiled floor, light gray walls with dark gray curtains, gray tables with gray vases in the corner of the room. The two thrones, by contrast, are ebony black and sharp, all corners and shine.

The throne to Lynn’s left is tall-backed. A similarly tall woman sits upon the throne, straight-backed and staring impassively down at Lynn. Her pale head is bare of hair, a thorny black crown perched there instead. She’s dressed in all black, a long flowing gown and a thin sash covering her body. The only piece of jewelry she wears is a small bronze ring on her left hand.

The woman sitting in the throne to Lynn’s right is not sitting so much as slouching in her seat. The seat itself is piled with gray cushions and pillows. A shorter woman, tan and stout, is dressed similarly to Lynn, in a knee-length white tunic with short gray boots. A spear leans against her chair. This woman wears a crown of black roses in her short brown hair and the same ring as the other woman.

“What are you doing here?” this woman demands, frowning. “How did you get past Dean? Or God and Dog?”

Lynn hesitates before bowing slightly to the two. _I thought there was only one Queen of the Underworld, the Wordless One. So who’s this woman?_ “I reasoned with them. I was sent here on a rescue mission.” Her hand unconsciously touches the collar. The woman on the left notices and frowns even more deeply, glancing over at the first woman and tilting her head, making some sort of symbol with her hand.

“ _What_?” The woman on the right stands up from her chair and grabs her spear, pointing it in Lynn’s direction. “Christine says you were sent here by Elijah. Is that true, mortal?”

Lynn backs up a step. “I don’t know if that was his name. An Old Man forced me to come down here. He said his daughter was kidnapped. And my name is Lynn, by the way.”

Christine, who Lynn can now identify as the Wordless One, stands up from her chair and walks over to put a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. Lynn glances between them. _The Wordless One speaks in her own way,_ Dean had said. So Lynn listens to what isn’t said, and notices more than she had expected. They love each other, painfully so. The other woman seems to relax slightly at the mere presence of her, indicative of a strong trust. And they’re so angry, a fiery passion burning in each of them that rivals Lynn’s own enmity towards the Old One. They’re angry and _scared_ , standing close together as if they could shield each other.

“I see that he was definitely lying about the kidnapped part,” Lynn says, realizing that this woman is the daughter. _The way he spoke about her, I thought she would be a child. I see now why she ran away._ “He didn’t even tell me your name.”

“Veronica. And my father has always been…disapproving of our relationship.” Veronica wraps an arm around Christine’s waist. “He tried to stop us at all costs, tried to keep us apart. At first, with harsh words alone. But when that didn’t work, he locked me up in my room, in the hopes that I’d actually stay there like a docile sheep, willing to just _listen_ like a good daughter should!”

“That- ah!” Lynn suddenly feels cold hands on her neck. She gasps and tries to shake them off, but it’s too late. Elijah is suddenly standing behind her. Lynn wrenches his hands off her and stumbles backwards towards Veronica and Christine, who both recoil at the sight of the Old One. _He can teleport using the collars?_

“And if you had obeyed me, none of this would have happened,” Elijah sneers. “I’m just doing this for your own good, Veronica. She’s poison. She _changed_ you, made you act like a petulant _child_. You were such a good girl before you met her.” He steps forward. Lynn carefully watches him, waits for the right moment, when he slips in his control. “Please, Veronica. I just want my sweet daughter back.”

Veronica hefts her spear. “No. I’ve made my choice. I’m not going back with you, not ever again.”

“Then you’re no longer my daughter,” Elijah snarls. He raises his arms and a copper bow appears in his hands, a gleaming arrow already notched. He aims the point straight in front of him, right towards Christine.

His attention diverted, Lynn sees her chance and tackles him to the ground, knocking the bow and quiver of arrows from his hands. She gets in a few punches to Elijah’s face before he touches his necklace and activates the collar. Lynn is momentarily incapacitated, giving him enough time to kick her away. Lynn curls up and tugs uselessly at the cold metal around her neck, her lungs starting to burn and spots starting to dance before her eyes. _I’ve got to figure a way to stop him. If I can’t…_

Through her fading vision, Lynn sees Elijah scramble for the bow and arrow, and Veronica lunge at him with her spear, driving him away from his weapon. They grapple for a second, Elijah unarmed, Veronica too close to use her spear. Lynn weakly gasps and feels herself start to falter.

Suddenly, the pressure around her neck loosens, and she can breathe again. She inhales too fast and chokes, coughing and sputtering. Lynn becomes aware of a pair of warm hands on her neck, and looks up to see Christine kneeling in front of her, face serious and concerned. Christine’s pale green eyes are boring holes into her own. _She’s stopping his control, somehow._ A few feet away, Veronica cries out and stumbles backwards, a short dagger embedded in her left shoulder, her right arm still wielding her spear. Christine jerks her head towards the noise, a soundless shout bursting from her lips. Lynn feels Christine’s interference start to fade, her concentration broken. Then it’s Elijah’s turn to roar in pain, Veronica’s weapon piercing the right side of his torso. Veronica herself winces and backs away from her father, right hand trying to stem the bleeding from her own wound.

Lynn’s eyes fall on the discarded bow and arrow, just a few feet away. _This is now or never._ She takes advantage of the last wisps of Christine’s interference to take a deep breath and hold it, crawling over and grabbing it. As her hands close around the copper weapon, her breath is knocked out of her with a gasp. She fights through the lack of oxygen to raise the bow and notch an arrow. She aims with a prayer to whatever God can help her, then fires.

Her shot misses her target, but hits something else. Instead of piercing Elijah’s heart, it lands a few inches higher, shattering the dark red jewel hanging from his neck. Instantaneously, the copper collar around Lynn’s neck crumbles and thoroughly disintegrates. She sucks in a few breaths, rubbing her throat, where the collar had roughly indented and gouged a deep welt in her skin.

“How dare you!” Elijah growls. He glares at Veronica. “My own daughter-”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Veronica snaps. Christine hovers at her side. “I never even loved you! You did nothing but berate me and lock me away from the ones I cared about! And what’s worse, you dared to call all of that _love_. It was just _your duty as a father,_ just _for your own good, Veronica, trust me._ Well,” Veronica reaches out and grabs Christine’s hand, “you’re no father of mine.”

Elijah puffs up, his face turning red. “I can’t believe-” His words are cut off by a wet and strangled scream. Then he falls down dead, an arrow protruding from his neck.

Lynn slowly lowers the bow, dropping it on the ground and nervously looking over at the couple. _Are they going to be mad? Even if she says she doesn’t love him, that’s still her father. Her family._ But they both look relieved, Christine pulling Veronica into a firm embrace. They stay like that for a few seconds, Veronica wiping tears from her eye when they pull away. Christine looks over at Lynn and nods, smiling slightly.

“Thank you,” Veronica says. Then she winces, remembering the knife in her shoulder. Christine frowns and walks over to her tall throne, ringing a small bell hanging from one of the arms. Immediately, a few guards rush in and drag away Elijah’s corpse. A pair of healers follow a few seconds later, one of them guiding Veronica away. Christine nods at Lynn, and motions to the wounds around her neck and wrists. Lynn lets the healer lead her away, taking one last glance back at the throne room.

Christine looks deep in thought, her eyes blank and unfocused. Then the doors slide shut, leaving the Queen alone in the dark chamber.

* * *

Veronica approaches Lynn a few days later, after they’ve both had ample time to heal, thanks to their temple’s highly skilled doctors. Lynn is sitting in the guest bedroom that’s been given to her, sorting through the items in her bag.

“Christine and I have been talking,” Veronica says, pulling over a chair. Lynn looks up at her, noticing how her shoulder barely seems stiff anymore, the skin nearly completely smooth without any trace of a wound. “I mean I talk and Christine, well, you know.” Veronica chuckles, Lynn cracking a smile.

“What have you been ‘talking’ about?”

Veronica shrugs and seems almost…nervous. “I was wondering, well, you seem to go on so many adventures. And, to be honest, I’m getting bored of being down here. Don’t get me wrong,” Veronica notices Lynn’s concerned look, “I love being with Christine, and her realm isn’t all that bad after you get used to it, it’s just that I was trained as a warrior. And I haven’t been able to do a whole lot of fighting and exploring recently. I just need to stretch the whole ‘brawl ‘till you fall’ muscle once in a while, you know?”

“And Christine’s okay with you going out on your own like that?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. She’s fine with making our relationship more…long distance. We have ways of communicating, after all.” Veronica finally meets Lynn’s eyes. “It’s the alone part that’s bothering both of us. So what’d you say to having a travelling companion?”

Lynn raises her eyebrows. _Do I want that? I don’t know if I could handle having a constant person around anymore, not after the last few months of being on my own._ She remembers Veronica’s skill with her spear, and the fierce way she conducted herself in battle. _She’d be a good ally. And a loyal friend. I’d have someone to watch my back, a powerful someone at that._

_What do I want?_

_This._

“Sure. It’d be nice to have someone at my back. Where do you want to go?”

Veronica’s eyes light up like someone just handed her the keys to Vegas. “Great! And anywhere is fine, doesn’t really matter to me. I’d be ready to head out tomorrow, the doctors say. That good with you?”

“Yeah.” Lynn holds her hand out for a handshake. Veronica takes it and firmly shakes it. “That’s great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing: the first member of Team My Dad Is An A**hole! 
> 
> Lynn's song is the [Seikilos Epipath,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikilos_epitaph) one of the oldest fully recorded musical compositions. 
> 
> Also introducing: fast travel!  
> Also also introducing: foreshadowing, probably!
> 
> Next chapter: more Vulpes, unfortunately.


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Third Trial

Novac is a crowded but tightly-built town, not far from where Benny was last seen. Lynn and Veronica walk through the city gates, Veronica looking around in wonder at the bustling market in front of them.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been up here,” she remarks. “Even when I was up on the surface, I didn’t really…frequent cities.” Her face twists. “He said they would  _ corrupt  _ me or something.”

Lynn hums, shivering slightly at the mention of Elijah. “Well, might as well make the most of it now!” She gives Veronica a bright grin, which is quickly returned with an optimistic smile. “We should buy some provisions, grab some dinner, and then find an inn.” Lynn adjusts the hat on her head and leads the way.

They wander through the busy street for a few minutes, browsing various stalls selling food, weaponry, and travelling supplies. Lynn trades some baubles for a quiver of arrows. She had kept Elijah’s bow, finding the feel of the weapon natural in her hands. Now, she feels more secure: a bow and arrows, a sword at her waist, and a few assorted daggers.  _ I won’t be caught unaware by anyone anymore.  _ Veronica coos over an elegant gown with intricate bronze and black embroidery, but manages to tear herself away long enough to buy them some rations.

One of the shopkeepers recommends a cheap inn nearby, and gives them directions. They walk for a few minutes before Veronica closes her eyes, frowns, and shifts closer to Lynn.

“Any idea why someone’s following you?”

Lynn resists the urge to turn around, instead casually looking over at Veronica. As she does so, she catches a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. “No, not really.”

Veronica seems to be very intently concentrating, her fingers at her side twitching and her brow wrinkled. “Hm. It’s a God, too. I wonder why-” She pauses, then sighs. “Okay, why is Vulpes-tail-so-far-up-his-ass-he-can’t-sit-Inculta following you?”

“That low-down son of a snake!” Lynn hisses. “I don’t know, he just likes watching me or something!” She wants nothing more than to turn around and berate Vulpes for being his creepy self, but either he would immediately disappear, or it would turn into a fight in the middle of a city. Neither option was very appealing.

“Glad to know you’re not a fan of Caesar,” Veronica lowly says. “You’ll be happy to know I’m not on his side either. Sir I-had-too-many-sons-to-keep-track-of always seemed a little shifty to me, you know?”

They get to the door of the inn, and Lynn sneaks a glance over her shoulder when she opens it, noticing a blond head ducking into an alley. She internally prays to some Vulpes-hating God to cast a curse on him, but no heavenly lightning bolt strikes, so she sighs and follows Veronica into the inn.

 

 

“So what was up with that?” Veronica asks once they’ve settled in their room.

Lynn flops back on the bed. “I don’t know. What do you know about Caesar?”

“Besides the fact that the majority of his officers are biologically related to him, not much,” Veronica admits. “He’s been trying to gain power over the other Gods, though. Rumor has it that he’s trying to siphon power away from House and Kimball- you know him, he reigns over democracy and governmental issues- but nothing’s been proven yet.  Caesar’s been mobilizing though, making alliances left and right with every God that is willing. And the ones that aren’t usually…go missing.” She shrugs. “Whether he kills them or if they just go into hiding, I’m not sure.”

“Maybe Vulpes is trying to scout me, see if I’m as  _ useful  _ as House seems to find me.” Lynn winces. “Or maybe he wants to slap me back when I least expect it.”

Veronica nods, then does a double take. “Wait,  _ what _ ?”

“Heh, funny story…”

* * *

The streets adjacent to the market are stuffed full of people on their way to temples, workplaces, and homes. Lynn lets herself be carried along by the crowd towards the city gates, Veronica at her side. After having rested for the night, it’s time that she continues on Benny’s trail, faded as it may be.

She slips out of the throng to stop and adjust the strap of her boot. When she straightens, her eye snags on something out of place. She has to look again to notice the oddity: a small tent tucked between houses. A short man is standing in front of the shadowy tent, yelling something to passerby, all who ignore him. But when Lynn gets closer, she realizes that it’s something more than that: nobody else seems to even hear or see the man.

“An amazing quest, fit for the bravest of heroes!” The man shouts, waving his hands back and forth. “A harrowing adventure! The most dangerous and exciting hunt! Kill the formidable demons!! Come and accept the challenge if you dare!”

Lynn was so absorbed in watching the crier, she jumps when Veronica puts a hand on her arm.

“Lynn? What’s wrong?” Veronica follows Lynn’s gaze and frowns. “What are you looking at?”

“What do you mean? You don’t hear him?”

Veronica starts to look seriously worried. “Hear who? What are you talking about?”

Lynn grabs Veronica’s shoulder. “Him!” She points to the tent and the man in front of it. “Don’t you see him? He’s yelling something about a quest.”

“There’s no one there,” Veronica protests. “Seriously, Lynn. Are you okay? Did you get enough sleep last night?”

Lynn takes a deep breath in and rubs her eyes. When she opens them again, the man is still there. “No one else can see him, either. Maybe he’s a God?”

“Theoretically, if someone is there, they could be shielding themselves. But I should still be able to at least  _ sense _ someone there.”

“Maybe…let’s see what a God thinks of all this. Is our blond ‘friend’ still following us?” Veronica nods. Lynn peeks over her shoulder and sees a short figure leaning against a wall a few houses down. Even from this distance, the silhouette is distinctly Vulpes’. Lynn casually meanders over, keeping her body language nonthreatening. Behind her, Veronica sighs and follows. Vulpes looks up when she approaches, but doesn’t move.

Lynn leans against the wall next to him. “Nice weather we’re having.”

Vulpes looks at her out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t know. It’s going to rain tomorrow, they say. Bad day for travelling.”

_ This conversation has already lasted longer than any interaction with him I ever wanted to have. Ugh.  _ “Sounds great. Say, what do you think about that man over there?” She nods over to the apparently invisible-to-all-except-her man.

Vulpes squints and looks at least two feet to the right of where he is. “What man?” Lynn watches his eyes unfocus when they pass over the man’s location, then Vulpes is staring to the left of the mysterious guy and frowning. “I don’t see anyone out of the ordinary.”

“Really?”  _ Great. I must really be going crazy.  _ “You’re not just messing with me?” She deeply sighs.  _ He has no reason to lie to me about this.  _ “Well, whatever. I guess I’ll go talk to the non-existent man. Have fun continuing to stalk me.” Before Vulpes has time to reply, Lynn pushes off the wall and walks away.  _ Great conversation. Very helpful. _

“The demon, the deadly invisible enemy, he who impedes our Great Journey,” the man is ranting.

“Excuse me?” Lynn asks when she gets close. The man startles at her approach, then looks back and forth until he realizes that Lynn is actually looking directly at him. His eyes widen until they’re the size of Lynn’s fists, and his smile spreads so wide it almost reaches his ears. Lynn suddenly has second thoughts about this idea.

“You!” He reaches out and grabs the edge of Lynn’s travelling cloak with fingers that suddenly seem too long for his hands. “The hero, you! The one who went back and back again, the one who carries herself with no fear, lots of fear, so much fear you can barely stand it, yet here you stand! You! Oh, the Creator has truly sent you to us in our time of utmost need!”

Lynn tries to lean away from the man. “Yeah, that’s me, I guess.”

“Lynn!” Veronica is standing a few feet away. “Where did you go?”

“I’m right here!” Lynn yells, waving her arms to try and get Veronica’s attention. But her companion’s eyes slide right over where she is. Lynn tugs herself away from the man and steps away from him.

Veronica jumps when Lynn approaches. “What the- where did you go? I couldn’t see you at all!”

“Not so crazy now, huh?” Lynn smiles and takes Veronica’s arm, leading her towards the man. “So what’s all of this talk about the beast?” 

The man grabs Lynn’s arm and pulls her towards the dark tent. “You will see. I am named Chris. But I am not the one to tell you, marked one. You must speak with Jason. Here, here,” he opens the flap of the tent and motions them inside. 

The tent is dark. When the tent flap is closed, Lynn, still holding onto Veronica, almost stumbles in the sudden darkness. The cacophony of noise from the street outside is abruptly muffled. 

“Please, sit down,” a voice says, startling both of them. Lynn slowly bends her knees and kneels on the floor of the tent, which feels like hard metal. She feels Veronica follow suit. 

“Hello?” Lynn whispers. Now that her eyes are starting to adjust, she can barely make out the faint outline of someone sitting in front of her. 

The person sitting in front of them starts to faintly glow light green. “Hello, marked one. Please forgive us of our humble surroundings.” The voice thickens and layers mix into it, until they are talking with a dozen voices at once. “Our true home awaits us in the Far Beyond. Have you come to help us complete the Great Journey?” The green glow is bright enough that Lynn can see the man, a patchwork individual of different skin colors and facial features, some of the mashed-up pieces faintly glowing. 

“Who are you?” Veronica asks. The bright green light dances across her tan face, turning her dark eyes into a kaleidoscope of swirling lights and colors. 

“I am Jason Bright, the prophet of the Great Journey.” 

“What’s this Great Journey?” Lynn whispers.  _ His name is Bright? That’s funny. Not any funnier than the rest of him, though. Also, why am I still whispering?  _

Jason Bright shines a little more brightly, his many voices rising in excitement. “We, my flock and I, wish to escape the barbarity of this cruel and violent world. The Creator has promised us a new land: a place of safety and healing...a paradise in the Far Beyond.” The leans forward and frowns with a pair of misshapen lips. “Preparations for the Great Journey were nearly complete when the demons appeared.”

“The demons? What are you talking about?”  _ Is he talking about actual ghosts or some evil spawn torn from the Underworld?  _

“The demons...they appeared from nowhere…” Jason tilts his head. “...except it might be more accurate to say they never actually ‘appeared’ at all. These demons are  _ invisible. _ Where one of them stands, one only sees shimmers, like sunlight dancing on water…” He bows his head and glows less brightly. “They sets upon us as we were on our way to our sacred place, in the secret catacombs that lie underneath this city.” At Lynn and Veronica’s raised eyebrows, he chuckles, the laugh echoing and vibrating with a dozen laughs, high and low. “Yes, most humans know not of these tunnels. The demons chased us up here, their demonic presence bringing all progress towards the Great Journey to a standstill. But now you have come! Will you take care of the demons, marked one?” 

_ A monster  _ _ will ask you to ‘take care’ of another, far deadlier, foe.  _ Lynn remembers the Forecaster’s prediction and sits a little straighter.  _ He said I could interpret this any way I wish. Does that mean that I don’t have to kill these demons? Maybe I could reason with them, get out of this mess without any bloodshed. I don’t want to go around slaughtering everything that moves. No, I want diplomacy. I’ll take the quest.  _ “I will do that,” she smiles and nods.  _ At least he gave me a chance. I can always walk away from this if I need to.  _

“Praise the Creator!” Jason claps his hands together. “Bless you, marked one! Bless us all!” He fishes a large iron key from his pocket and tosses it to Lynn. “This will open the secret labyrinth. Take caution, wanderers. The leader of the demons is most dangerous.” He motions behind him to a trapdoor. “You will find the entrance here. Thank you. Once the tunnels are rid of the demons, preparations for the Great Journey can resume!” 

Lynn stands up and helps Veronica to her feet. In the dimming light of Jason Bright, they find the trapdoor and insert the key, turning it with a soft click. The door swings open and a ladder leads down into inky blackness. Lynn sighs.  _ This is going to take a little longer than I’d hoped. I might lose Benny’s trail if I do this. But I did promise.  _ She takes a deep breath, checks that her weapons are still in their correct places, and puts a hand on the cold ladder. 

* * *

“How did they hide this maze this big underneath the city without anyone noticing?” Veronica whispers, breaking the tense silence. In front of her, Lynn shrugs.

“It must have been down here for hundreds of years.” She trails a few fingers against the stone brick wall. “It’s odd that there are torches lit.” There are sconces every few feet that dimly light the passageway. Their shadows dance along the walls. Every couple of feet, something crunches underneath Lynn’s boot: she hopes it’s not bone.

They twist and turn through the endless labyrinth. Lynn is completely lost at this point, following her instinct. A left turn here, then right, then another right, then crouch and peer around the corner, just in case something’s there – Lynn frowns and squints down the empty corridor.  _ Why do I feel like something’s over there?  _  She glances back and catches Veronica’s eye, points down the corridor, then shrugs.

Veronica closes her eyes, her brow furrowing. Then she nods and points to a spot halfway down the hallway. Lynn silently nocks an arrow into her quiver. Veronica contorts her face into a roaring snarl, her fingers hooked like claws.  _ Hostile creature. One of the invisible demons. No choice but to kill them.  _ Lynn lets her eyes unfocus and glimpses a slight shimmer in the air where Veronica pointed. She pokes her bow around the corner and takes aim, holding her breath before letting the arrow fly. 

The monster doesn’t have time to scream before the arrow pierces its throat. It pops into view, landing on the stone floor with a loud thud. The demon is large, several feet taller than Lynn, with dark blue skin rippled with countless scars. It lays still. Lynn winces.  _ I had no choice.  _ She looks over her shoulder at Veronica, keeps her bow at the ready, and leads the way past the dead monster and further down the hallway. 

 

 

Veronica grimaces and wipes blood off of her spear before following Lynn. They both crouch before a doorway. The room inside is better lit than the hallway. Veronica concentrates, then stiffens in surprise. She holds up one finger, smiling and nodding. Lynn’s eyes widen.  _ Just one. Not hostile. We could reason with him.  _ They fully stand up and put away their weapons. 

The room they slowly walk into is bright. A large “demon” stands in front a table, quietly arguing with an oddly-shaped skull. Lynn clears her throat and he turns to face her. 

“Look, Antler, visitors!” He growls. “Are you here to try and steal from us, too? Antler says you are okay, but you can not trust humans!” 

_ Antler? He must be talking about the skull.  _ Lynn resists the urge to rub her temples.  _ Great. I’d better just play along.  _ “No. What are you trying to find? Why are you down here?” Belatedly, she bows to first the skull, then the demon, elbowing Veronica to do the same. “What is your name?”

“Davison.” He appreciatively nods at the mark of respect. “Antler brought us here. We seek a cache of ancient artifacts that can turn the user invisible. Antler said that they would be down here.” 

Lynn hums. “We could help you-”

“Wait, Lynn,” Veronica interjects. “I think I actually know what he’s talking about. My-” she stops and coughs, “Elijah was looking for them one time, and I peeked at some of his papers. He said they were, oh,” she stops and thinks, “in a town called Nipton. I think it’s a ways south of here?” She looks to Lynn for confirmation, who nods. 

“Really?” Davison grunts. He loudly whispers a few things to the skull, then seems to be intently listening to it, frowning deeply. “Antler actually agrees with you. I must have gotten lost and followed his directions badly. I have a hard time believing you, but Antler says you are right.”

“So you’ll leave, then?” Lynn crosses her fingers.  _ This might be way easier than I had anticipated.  _

Davison nods and gently picks up the skull. “Yes. Thank you. I will gather the rest of my flock and leave.” He stomps past them. 

“I can’t believe that worked,” Lynn whispers. Veronica shrugs. 

“Me neither. We’d better get back up to Mr. Candle and tell him the good news.” She deflates slightly. “I can’t believe I almost called him my father. He- he wasn’t…”

Lynn puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Sometimes things slip. And you were living with him for a long time, right?” Veronica nods. “It’s natural that you’d take more than a few weeks to get over that. Almost calling him your father doesn’t mean it’s true.” 

Veronica is lost in thought for a second, then shakes herself. “You’re right. Let’s get going.” 

  
  


“Blessed be the Creator!” Jason Bright shines very brightly when they tell him that the “demons” are taken care of. “Then the way is clear. Oh, bless you, wanderers!” He claps his hands. “We must go prepare for the Great Journey. Will you join us and observe the preparations, marked one?” 

Lynn sighs.  _ Much as I’d like to see what weird ritual they have planned for their “Great Journey”, I really need to get back on Benny’s trail. There’s no time to lose.  _ “Sorry, I must take my leave of you. But I wish you the best of luck in reaching the Far Beyond.” 

Jason smiles very widely, and gestures to Chris to open the tent flap, letting the lights and sounds of the outside world inside. “Blessed be your journey, marked one. Thank you. The memory of all you have done for us will stay in our eternal memory forever.” 

The street outside is the same as when they had entered the tent: crowded and chaotic. They wince at the bright light. Lynn looks over at Vulpes, who is squinting and frowning in their general direction. She laughs. 

“Want to slip out of here before our stalker realizes we’re gone?” 

Veronica chuckles. “Right behind you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to draw out the ending, since the Bright Brotherhood doesn't exactly launch in rockets, instead setting up an elaborate ritual that would have been a pain to describe. And Lynn's got places to be, people to track down, you know. 
> 
> Veronica is a demigoddess. Elijah was a God (of plants and nature, if that wasn't clear last chapter), and taught Veronica about combat. In this world, each God/Demigod has a primary and secondary power. For example, Veronica's primary concern is fighting, while her secondary ability is that she can "see" around her, often with great detail. A VATS-like ability, in a sense. 
> 
> Lynn could see and hear Chris because she had gone to the Underworld and survived, something no mortal has ever done. Chris is not quite human, more of a mix with a type of faerie that can take human form. Jason Bright is just...himself.
> 
> Caesar is basically the Zeus of this world, in that he was very reckless in his youth and had a ton of children, who make up a large portion of his fighting force. Caesar is the God of War. Vulpes, his youngest son, is the God of tricksters and spies (obviously), his secondary ability being that of ~~disguise~~ , which he hasn't used much yet.  
> EDIT: (I hadn't yet nailed down an important plot point when I wrote this) Vulpes actually can short-range teleport to anyone who's position he knows. It's how he can so easily follow them. 
> 
> I just had several long essays to write for school, so it's a miracle that I even got this updated this week!
> 
> Next chapter: a long-awaited showdown.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A showdown!!!

Lynn rolls over. Outside the window of the room, a thunderstorm rages. She smiles in her sleep.

She’s at the beach, her small feet sinking into the hot sand. Her parents are sitting and talking, keeping an eye on her as she runs to splash in the shallow water. A wave knocks her over and she runs at the water again, shrieking in laughter. She plays with the sand and shells, moving farther along the beach until everyone else is out of sight. 

She quickly tires, yawning widely and dropping the pretty seashells she’d collected. She can no longer see her parents, so she decides to wait for them to find her. She lumps sand into a pillow-like shape, laying down with her toes brushing the water, head on the warm soft sand. Her eyes slip shut. 

Someone is carrying her, and she blearily cracks one eye open. She’s in the cloud-soft arms of a tall dark man. She can’t see his face, but he seems friendly. He smells of salt and brine. He notices her state of wakefulness. 

“Someday you will be great and powerful,” he says, voice deep and gravely. “You will overcome great challenges, Lynn.” Her name sounds like waves crashing on the rocks. “You must stay kind and resilient. If you do that, you will accomplish amazing things.” 

“Who are you?” She whispers, rubbing her left eye with a tiny fist. She yawns and starts to slip back into slumber. She hears her parents yelling her name, then she hears them stop when they see the man. 

“Great Ulysses,” they say, and she has never heard her parents sound so awed. 

“Please, stand,” the man kindly says. Lynn’s eyes flutter open when she’s transferred back into her parent’s arms. “Your daughter is very special. She will grow up to be wonderful.” Her parents quietly say something, and the man softly responds. Then she feels someone open her hand and give her something, something round and smooth. In the dream, she sleepily giggles and shakes the object. 

In the small room of the inn, Lynn is half-asleep when she feels a hand uncurl the fingers of her left hand. She feels someone standing above her next to the bed. 

“Who are you?” She sleepily mumbles, still partly in her dream, the ocean whispering in the distance. Rain is drumming on the roof of the inn. The person standing above her, a familiar presence, slips something round and smooth into her hand, then folds her fingers back over it. Then a loud clap of thunder shakes the room, and she falls back asleep. 

The next morning, she’s surprised and confused to find the small blue pearl in her hand, having no memory of her dream. She slips it into a pocket with a shrug. The sun has not yet risen, the small town they’re staying in shadowy and quiet. Veronica is still asleep, curled around her pillow. 

“I have to get up now,” Veronica mumbles, then giggles. “No, I really have to go. Yes, it’s going great. I’ll be back soon, okay?” She smiles, a shy grin that spreads across her face. “I love you too.” 

Lynn quickly busies herself counting the arrows in her quiver to hide the fact she was eavesdropping. In a few hours, they leave the town and Lynn shoves down the pang of loneliness she’d felt while listening to Veronica dream-speak with Christine. 

* * *

Two days later, they’re walking down a forest road. A cool and salty breeze is keeping them from working up too much of a sweat, but the sun is still high in the sky. 

There’s a cart down the road, two horses pulling it and several figures sitting atop it. Lynn sees his silhouette from far away, sitting in the front of the cart. The garish robes. The short hair and arrogant posture. She grits her teeth. Benny. 

“What are you doing?” Veronica looks back and forth between the cart and the tip of an arrow that Lynn notches into her bow. Lynn just bites her lip and takes aim, then lets the arrow fly. As she does, one of other figures in the cart moves, and takes the hit, falling to the wooden bed of the cart with a gurgled scream. The other occupants of the cart immediately turn to face them, one of them drawing a bow of their own. 

“Come on!” Lynn takes off running, notching another arrow. Veronica hefts her spear and sprints after her, adrenaline already rushing up. The cart speeds up. Lynn dodges to the side to avoid an arrow, then stops mid-step to fire one of her own, hitting the arm of one of the drivers of the cart. It swerves before correcting, but it gives Veronica enough time to throw her spear into the spokes of a back wheel. They are out of the forest now, the strong breeze turning into a gusty wind. 

The wheels screech and the entire cart flips, skidding across stone and dumping out its occupants. Lynn keeps running, but Veronica hesitates, seeing where they are: the edge of a cliff. In front of them, half-embedded in the rock, is a massive shipwreck. The ancient craft had presumably been thrown onto the rocks by an ungodly storm. The mast is broken, the dilapidated deck tilted at a slippery angle, the hull cracked in half and loudly creaking in the wind. 

“You!” Lynn roars, holstering her bow. She draws her sword and sprints towards Benny, who turns and runs for the ship. Two of his three companions, all outfitted like guards, follow suit, one staying behind and swinging at Lynn. She parries and shoves the man back, running past him. _These losers don’t matter to me. What matters is_ ** _him_** **.** _I need to correct things, finish this. It’s time to cut this hanging thread once and for all._ Veronica follows her and hits the man hard in the face, sending him staggering backwards. Then she takes his sword from the ground and hits him with the pommel. He collapses to the ground. 

Benny, running into the hold of the ship, hesitates at the creak of wood under his feet, but continues running into the wreck. His two remaining guards take position on either side of the hole in the hull, one of them pointing a bow at Lynn. She ducks a shot and slices the bowman across the arm with her sword. The other guard’s spear grazes her shoulder. She darts in close and disarms him before running into the ship after Benny, leaving Veronica to deal with the two guards. 

The wreck of the ship groans, the metal joints screaming under their feet. Benny runs up a set of stairs onto the deck, then turns to face Lynn, wide-eyed and panting. 

“What in the-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Lynn shouts, breathing heavily. “You’re dead to me! You  _ hurt  _ me and  _ messed  _ everything up, and now you’re going to  _ pay _ .” She loosely holds her sword at the ready.  _ Maybe I was lying before when I told House I wasn’t doing this for revenge. Maybe there was a small part of me that does want this.  _ She charges Benny and swings. He dodges and draws a dagger. Lynn is too close to dodge, and the blade drags across her arm before she can deflect it away. She drops her sword and punches Benny in the throat. He coughs and stumbles backwards. 

Lynn, too eager and hyper-focused, slips on the wet deck and crashes to her side, salty water stinging the cut on her arm. Benny takes advantage of the momentary distraction and starts climbing one of the masts, clumsily scaling the rope rigging. Lynn grimaces and starts after him, the cold air whipping across her face. The ship lurches, a loud  _ crack  _ splitting the air. Lynn manages to hold onto the ropes. She looks up. Benny is still several feet above her, seemingly unbothered by the wind or the way the rotted mast is shaking. 

She tangles her legs in the rope, bracing herself and carefully balancing. She pulls out her bow and prepares an arrow, taking aim and letting the arrow go. It barely misses, but Benny nearly loses his balance, cursing loudly. A strong gust shakes her and she has to grab the ropes. Then she aims again, holding her breath and taking into account the swinging mast. 

Benny shouts and flails, the arrow imbedded deep in his leg. He slips and loses his footing, his fingers slipping from the rope. Lynn has enough time to slide her bow over her shoulder and grab the rigging before Benny lands half on top of her. The sudden shift of weight causes the whole wreck to groan before starting to slowly slide down the cliff towards the roiling water below. 

Benny is momentarily stunned from the sudden fall. Around his neck hangs the artifact: a large silver disk. Lynn snatches it, slips it around her own neck, then pushes Benny off of her. He yells and tries to grab her as he falls, but she nimbly swings on the ropes and evades his hands. He falls more than fifty feet to the deck, crashing through the wood and falling even further into the hull. He doesn’t get up.  _ I did it. I finally did it Now- _

Lynn looks over to the cliff, where Veronica is panicked, shouting something and waving her arms. Only then does she realize how close the wreck is to falling into the sea. Lynn recklessly slides down the mast, large splinters tearing up her hands. She falls the last few feet to the deck and immediately picks herself up, sprinting across the wet deck. The already slippery surface is tilting even further until she’s almost climbing it. 

Just as the ship creaks and shudders, Lynn jumps and grabs the edge of the cliff, her head knocking into the stone and stunning her for a second. Below her, the immense wooden wreck crashes into the sea, large pieces sinking under the waves. Lynn scrambles at the rock, her ears ringing. She slips on the slick stone, until just her fingers hang on. _No, no, no._ _I did what I needed to do. This is not the time to die._

As her hands slip off the cliff, two hands catch her wrists. 

“That was close,” Veronica huffs and pulls Lynn up onto solid ground. 

“Thanks,” Lynn gasps and rolls over onto her side. As she does, the artifact glints in front of her face.  _ I hope this was all worth it. This whole quest for a little trinket?  _ She looks over at Veronica.  _ It’s more than just the artifact, though. It’s stopping Elijah’s sinister plans, helping that weird cult, stopping Benny from using this object to cause harm to others. It’s about finding pieces of myself I didn’t know were missing.  _ She coughs and gets to her feet. 

Veronica pats her on the shoulder. “We’d better get right up to Vegas with that.” 

“You’re right.” Lynn pulls out the necklace that lets her immediately transport back to the heights of Vegas. Veronica pulls out a similar charm. She has another, similar necklace next to the golden one, a pair of jet-black wings. 

“Let’s me get back to the Underworld in a flash,” Veronica remarks, noticing Lynn’s questioning glance. 

Lynn nods. She closes her eyes and rubs the necklace: Once. Twice. There’s a loud flutter of wings.

“Lynn, wait!” Veronica shouts. Lynn stops and opens her eyes. A large white raven is perched on Veronica’s arm. It caws and shrieks. Veronica nods her head in understanding. 

“What is it?” Lynn asks. 

Veronica is already pulling out the black-winged necklace. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to get back and help Christine. Something’s happened, a plague or something, and Underworld is being flooded with souls. She needs me to help guide everyone to their proper resting places.” 

_ A plague?  _ “Where are these people coming from? What city is being killed by the disease?” Lynn asks.  _ Maybe…  _

Veronica chirps to the raven, who caws back. “It’s the city we passed through a few nights ago. It’s bad, Lynn. Something that could spring up and spread that fast…” 

“It could be across the country in few weeks.” Lynn tries to think.  _ Could this be the Fourth Trial? If so, I can’t risk the time it would take to get to Vegas and then back.  _ “The city just to the west has a Temple of Health, right?” Veronica nods. “I’ll head right over there, see what I can do to help.”

“Stay safe,” Veronica rubs the necklace and closes her eyes. “Just so you know, in case the worst happens, there’s always a room open in our house for you.” 

And then she’s gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sort of different Ulysses than in canon, since Lynn didn't...you know...the whole Divide incident doesn't really exist in this AU. His secondary is prophecy, by the way, which is why he can catch glimpses of Lynn's future. She doesn't remember it, but she grows up very devoutly worshiping Ulysses, having a large family shrine for him, as well as a small one in her room. The pearl is a symbol of his favor (a rare thing), marking her as something special. 
> 
> Veronica will be back in a few chapters, but she's mostly done for now (only one companion at a time, remember?). She and Christine can communicate through dreams, or Veronica can use her innate (inherited from Elijah) ability to communicate with animals that Christine sends.
> 
> Next chapter: Our number of blond characters double!


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fourth Trial: Part 1

The Temple of Health is airy and bright, a sweet-smelling breeze rustling the leaves of the many plants blooming in the temple’s courtyard. Sprigs of oregano dangle from doorways. Priestesses tend to patients, stopping once in a while to incline their heads towards the statue atop a raised dais at the far end of the room. A statue of a remarkably tall woman stands in a flowing gown, a slender serpent coiled around her shoulders.

“What is her name?” Lynn stops a priestess, feeling slightly embarrassed to ask. Maybe she knew this Goddess at one point. Maybe she was even a devout follower before, before she was marked.

The priestess’s eyes widen at the sight of Lynn’s eye, but she manages to keep her composure. “She is called Julie. She protects our bodies from harm.”

“Is there a place I may privately pray to her?” Lynn asks.  _ I’m not even sure she’s the one I should be going to. There are many deities who reign over the domain of health. Her temple just so happened to be close by.  _ The priestess points her to a secluded corner with a small altar, then scurries away, quietly coughing. Lynn settles into the nook and takes a small bunch of semi-wilted wildflowers from the folds of her gown.

“Julie,” Lynn blushes and sets the flowers on the small altar. They look pale and pitiful.  _ What a underwhelming gift for such a large favor.  _ “O wise master of health and cleansing, I pray for your assistance.” Lynn pauses. What to say? Even though she’s on speaking terms with an unbelievable number of deities, it’s still so intimidating to pray to one. “There’s a city that is plagued with a mysterious and terrible disease, and they’ve asked for my help, but I don’t-I don’t know what to do.” The only reason she’s here is because of the Forecaster’s advice given so long ago.

“Please,” her voice drops to a whisper and she leans forward until she can almost pretend the rest of the temple’s occupants don’t exist. “Just give me a sign, anything. I need help.” Lynn takes a deep breath, but nothing happens. No mysterious gust of wind, no prophetic visions. She sighs and tries not to feel disappointed. After all, Julie might not be the one she’s supposed to be praying to. She bows before the altar, then brushes past the busy priestesses and into the bustling city streets.

* * *

Lynn falls asleep. One moment, she’s in her small hotel room, and as soon as she closes her eyes, she’s somewhere else. A small village stands before her, surrounded by abundant farmland, almost twenty simple structures surrounding a central courtyard. Lynn looks around and sees a distant city to the east.

“Do not be frightened.” A woman emerges from the shadows and lays a hand on Lynn’s shoulder. She bears a striking resemblance to the statue in the temple, tall and graceful, rivaling Lynn in height.

“Where am I?” Lynn can hardly hear her own voice, as if she was speaking underwater. Her body feels numb and sluggish. Everything else, though, is extra crisp and bright. The sun’s rays sparkle, the wildflowers blooming on the side of the road almost burn her eyes with their vibrancy. Julie’s voice is clear and ethereal, her bare feet soundlessly stepping on the cloud-soft grass.

“This is a peaceful farming village a day’s walk west from my temple.” Julie’s hand moves to Lynn’s back, gently steering her towards the center of the village. “There is someone here who can help you. I may reign over the bodily kingdom of health and wellness, but I can do nothing when such a contagious disease has gripped an entire city. For that, we need someone who can quickly find a way to stop it from spreading. And finding and distributing cures, that’s Arcade’s specialty.”

“Arcade?” Lynn can’t seem to look away from Julie’s pale eyes, so like the olive leaves flourishing in the trees. “Is he a God, too?” Julie nods. “Then why is he all the way out here, instead of up in Vegas?”

Julie chuckles and shakes her head. “You’ll have to ask him that yourself. He simply told me that he enjoys the quiet life of a mortal. Few know of him, and he prefers it that way. He doesn’t even have any living family. But he’s always ready to help when needed, especially if I ask him. Ah, here.” They stop in front of a small hovel, a small sign painted with the symbol of a snake hanging over the door. A pair of small potted plants, basil and rosemary, flank the simple wooden door. Julie smiles and gently pulls Lynn, inviting her to look through the window.

A tall man sits at a desk. The back of his head is turned towards them, his wheat-blond hair kept short and well-groomed. He’s dressed in long white robes befitting a scholar, a pen held gently in his hand.

Lynn feels herself start to fade from the dream. “Is there any other advice you can give me?”

“Just to watch your back. You can trust Arcade, but not some of the other Gods. If things ever go awry,” Julie gently smiles, “you’re always welcome in my temple.” The image of the farming town and Julie both starting to feel unreal and distorted.

“Thank you for your help,” Lynn says, “even though I really didn’t give you much in exchange.”

Julie steps close, her head tilting to the side and bright eyes twinkling. She touches Lynn’s cheek with mist-soft fingers. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that I got  _ nothing  _ out of this,” she whispers, and leans in.

Lynn wakes with a gasp, her hands flying to her lips and a blush rising to her cheeks. She takes a moment to compose herself before glancing to the window, where the sun is already peeking over the tops of buildings. She sighs and brushes her fingers across her cheek before throwing the blanket off her legs and getting up out of bed.

* * *

The village is even prettier in Lynn’s waking hours, the sweet-smelling air contrasting with the earthiness of the surrounding fields. The sun is setting when she arrives, cooling down the hot day.

She easily finds Arcade’s home and takes a deep breath before knocking on the door. It swings open.

“Hello? Who are you?” Now that he's facing her, Lynn can more fully see the sharpness of Arcade’s face: all suspicious cheekbones and bony frowns. His pale blue eyes linger on her marked eye, but they’re curious, nonthreatening.

“My name is Lynn. Julie sent me.” 

“Julie?” Arcade waves her inside and gestures for her to take a seat. “Why? Did something happen?” 

Lynn takes notice of the sparse furnishings of the house: only one bed, a small desk, and a rickety chair fill the small room. “A plague has broken out a few cities east of here, and is spreading alarmingly quickly.”

“That is disturbing news.” He runs a hand over his face. “So Julie sent you to ask me for assistance?” He sighs. 

“Yes. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you all the way out in the middle of nowhere?” Lynn asks. 

Arcade crosses his arms. “Vegas was getting to tense, too much politics going on. I needed some time to myself to relax.” He shrugs and looks to the side. “And the day-to-day doldrum of mortal life is...calming.” 

_ Interesting.  _ Lynn folds her arms too.  _ He doesn’t seem to have really settled here. No personal belongings of value, no decoration in his home. It’s like he’s ready to hit the road any the slightest sign of danger. That doesn’t seem very calm to me.  _ “So will you help me?” 

He hesitates before nodding. “I’ll do it. If Julie suggested me to you, the situation must be dire indeed. We can-well, I actually don’t think we can…” He hums to himself. “I can teleport between any location I’ve already visited, but I’m not sure I can take you with me. The target location has to be clear, too. That doesn’t leave us many options.” 

“It’s only a day’s walk,” Lynn says. “We can leave right away and get there just after sunrise if we hurry.” 

“Sounds like a plan. We can head out right now, I don’t really have anything to pack.” He gestures to the door.

_ Again, odd.  _ Lynn follows him out the door and onto the dusty road.  _ He’s definitely lying about something, but it doesn’t seem malicious.  _ She adjusts the strap of her bow and notices that he doesn’t seem to be carrying any weapons.  _ I’ll let it slide for now. Whatever secrets he wants to keep are none of my business.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to break this into two parts, but school is kicking my derrière and I wanted to at least put something out this week. Hopefully (?) Part 2 will go up this weekend. 
> 
> Ancient Greeks hung Oregano and Basil around the home to provide protection. Rosemary wreaths were worn by scholars to improve memory.   
> Julie and Arcade are based off of Hygieia and Asclepius, respectively the Greek deities of Health and Medicine. They were often worshiped together, and both had similar symbols (the snake is the most famous).  
> Lynn's prayer to Julie reminds me of when you talk to an online friend for the first time, and you are super polite and formal. Then you get to know them and everything gets super casual.
> 
> ???Julie why did you kiss her???? There are consequences for you actions that I now have to deal with????


	8. Chapter Six Point Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fourth Trial: Part 2.

When they arrive at the gates to the city, a mob is forming in front of the gates.

“My father is in there!” One woman cries, struggling against a guard. “If he’s caught it, someone needs to be there to take care of him!”

“That’s ridiculous!” a man yells. “I just left yesterday, and everything was fine! You’re telling me that this ‘plague’ of yours came on  _ that  _ sudden? I just don’t believe it!”

Lynn grabs Arcade’s arm. “Oh no. If the disease can spread that fast…”

“Then we’ve got to work faster.” He looks grim. “Hold on, though. We need to take some precautions.” He puts his hands together and concentrates. Lynn looks around at the angry crowd, which is growing even more agitated. A soft light glows between Arcade’s hands, and a pile of white fabric forms in his arms.

“What’s that?” Lynn takes a piece from the top. It’s a small square of white cloth with a few long strips, embroidered with an intricate symbol in white thread, barely visible on the fabric.

“It’s a mask. Put it on. And here,” he hands her a large rectangle and a smaller one. “For your body and your hair. I don’t want to take any risks here, since we don’t know how the disease is spread. For now,” he puts on his own mask, “we should be careful.” Lynn realizes that his clothing already has the small embroidery on it, presumably some divine symbol of medicinal protection. She drapes the fabric over her body, tucking in the ends.

The crowd doesn’t budge when they try to push through. Lynn tries to elbow her way through, but the mob seems intent on locking together. “Coming through!” She shouts, but can’t be heard above the din.

“Of all of the problems we could face, getting in wasn’t one of them I thought we’d have,” Arcade grumbles. “I could get us in if I knew the city better, but I couldn’t guarantee that we wouldn’t teleport into a fire or something.” His brow furrows. “The only safe place in Julie’s temple I could get us is on the altar. A precarious enough spot, not to mention that we would probably land on something. I could probably try, though-”

“Need help?” Someone puts their hands on Lynn and Arcade’s shoulders.

Inwardly, she startles, but only a small twitch of her eye gives away her surprise. She can’t help the grimace that flashes across her face, though.  _ Son of a- _

“Vulpes?” Arcade jumps at the unexpected contact. He quickly composes himself, not bothering to hide his scowl. “I thought I asked you to never sneak up on me like that!”

Vulpes grins. “Sorry,” he says, not sounding the least bit sorry. In fact, he sounds positively ecstatic, leaning on Arcade’s shoulder and flashing him a wolfish grin. “But I thought you might need some help.”

“What kind of help?” Lynn asks.  _ Not that I want it, but the sooner we can deal with this plague problem, the better. _

Arcade sighs. “Vulpes can teleport as well. Unlike my ability, though, his power is limited to very short distances, and he must focus on a specific person instead of a location. It’s how he stalks people  _ so well _ .”

Vulpes fakes a pout. “Except for when they  _ hide  _ on me.” He breaks into a soft chuckle at Arcade’s glare. “Don’t worry, all is forgiven in Caesar’s eyes. Speaking of which, he’s going to be  _ so pleased  _ to hear that you’re back.” Arcade’s glower intensifies. “Go have tea with him once you finish with this affair, okay? He’ll be waiting.”

Lynn looks back and forth between them, starting to understand why Arcade  _ really  _ left Vegas.  _ I thought his story seemed a little shaky. It’s obvious that Caesar was- no, still is- trying to recruit him, and he went somewhere far away from Vegas to escape. I don’t blame him. _

“I’ve already told him-” Arcade starts, in the tone that implies he’s rehashing an old argument.

“Hold on,” Lynn interrupts. “We can talk about this later.” Arcade scowls. “But right now we’ve got a disease to stop. You said you could get us in?”  _ The less we have to talk to Vulpes, the better. Let’s get this over with.  _

Vulpes nods and takes both of their arms, his fingers cold like steel. Lynn resists the instinctual urge to pull away. “Sure thing. Hm, I don’t even know if this is going to work with a  _ mortal _ .” He shrugs, then puts one foot back and leans forward as if preparing for a race. He pushes off.

Everything flashes white for a second, and they’re at the head of the crowd. Lynn’s stomach twists and turns. They’re through the gates, then in a courtyard, and the stones are flashing dizzily in front of her eyes. Finally, they stop in a quiet alley, and Vulpes lets go of them. Lynn, eyes half-open, the world still spinning, feels her shoulder hit a wall.

“Hey, are you okay?” Arcade is suddenly in front of her with his hands on her shoulders, helping her stand upright. “That probably wasn’t the best idea. Maybe close your eyes next time?”

Lynn swallows hard and nods. “Where’s Vulpes?”

“Burning in Tartarus, hopefully,” Arcade mutters. “He probably didn’t want to stick around and get sick himself. We’re close to the medical center of the city. Are you good now?”

“Yeah.” She steadies herself and adjusts the mask over her nose and mouth. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The central city hospital is chaos, people coughing and yelling, guards trying in vain to control the flow of patients and family members.

“Who's in charge here?” Arcade asks a guard. 

“I don't know,” he says. “I don't think any of the city council members have dared show their faces here, for fear of falling ill themselves.” 

“Great,” Lynn mutters. She sneaks a glance at Arcade before continuing, “We were sent to aid you. We can take charge of the situation.” 

“You two are doctors?” the guard looks relieved. “We've had a few of Julie's followers come to help, but they're already overwhelmed.” 

“I'll start taking care of things inside. Lynn, can you try and get this situation under control?” She nods. “Separate people by the severity of the disease: worst people first. Try to set kids and older folks aside to separate tents. I'll be inside if you need me.” He pats her shoulder and heads inside. 

Lynn stands on top of an overturned basket. “Everybody listen up!” She shouts, raising one arm in the air to gain attention. The crowd quiets a bit, the guards turning to face her. She hesitates, all of the eyes on her desperate and suffering. “Okay. If you are very young or very old, please form a line by me. If you are in dire need of assistance, and I mean like you are currently  _ at death's door _ , then calmly form a line on this side.  Everyone else, if your symptoms are relatively mild, please gather in an  _ organized  _ fashion over here.” Speaking like this brings back a faint memory of her village’s constant town meetings.  _ It's so odd to think of myself as an authority.  _ She feels the weight of the artifact under her clothing.  _ But I am powerful. I can do things. And this can be one of the things I can do. This is what these people need right now. _

Slowly, the assembled people shuffle into lines. “What if we are here to visit a family member?” One person yells. 

Lynn bites her lip. “No visits. We can't risk the disease spreading. If you are not sick, go back home.” Seeing that they are about to argue, she quickly says: “They are in very good hands.” She turns to a guard. “Do you need volunteers for anything?” 

“Yes, madam. We need water and firewood, as well as other supplies, brought in from the gates.” 

“Anyone who would like to volunteer, please see this guard right here. Otherwise, go home. Thank you.” Without anything else to add, she steps off the basket and starts helping the most dire patients into the tents. 

* * *

Lynn sighs, wiping her forehead with a rag. It's oppressively hot in the tents, despite the ventilation measures that Arcade insisted upon. People around her in cots are coughing, their chests heaving, their faces red and hot. Arcade has determined that the disease mostly affects the lungs and raises the body temperature to lethal levels. 

She looks over at him, bent over a patient and observing them, brow furrowed. He checks their hands, and feels the pulse of their neck. He wasn't sure how the disease was spread, but he had ruled out skin-to-skin direct contact and airborne spread. 

_ I hope we figure out something soon,  _ Lynn thinks. In only a few hours, seven people had already died, and five more were in critical condition. 

Arcade rubs his eyes. The local government had arrived an hour ago, and had insisted on talking to the person in charge. When Lynn and Arcade had first realized the severity of the situation, they had sent a note to the gates forbidding any exit or entry from the city. The council members were unhappy with the decree, and had argued with him for almost twenty minutes before Arcade had snapped at them and had them removed from the facility. 

Lynn gratefully accepts a cup of water from one of Julie’s priestesses, absentmindedly raising it to her lips. 

Then she stops. Lynn lowers the cup, confused.  _ Why did I do that?  _ She frowns down at the water.  _ It looks fine, it doesn’t smell weird.  _ She tries to drink it again, and finds her arm stopped by some invisible force before the liquid can reach her lips. Arcade notices her confusion and walks over. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks. 

“I don’t know,” she tries to drink again. “I-something odd is happening.” She frowns and shifts the cup into her left hand.

“What are you doing?” Arcade suddenly asks. Lynn looks down and realizes that her right hand had slipped into her pocket and is now hovering over the cup, fingers closed around something. In surprise, she lets the object go, a small blue pearl. It falls into the cup of water with a quiet  _ splash _ , then sinks to the bottom of the cup. 

“Oh.” She watches the clear water turn inky black. “What does that mean? That’s not good, is it?” 

Arcade shakes himself and snaps into action. “Attention!” he shouts, startling several nearby priestesses. He points at a few people. “You, start heating a fire and boiling water. You, get rid of any water or tea in here. Nobody is to drink anything that hasn’t been boiled first. And you, guard, send out a team to warn the citizens not to drink anything.” The room around them mobilizes. 

Lynn sets down the cup of water and gently fishes out the pearl, rolling it around in her palm. Arcade squints down at it. 

“That’s a very powerful protection charm,” he notes. “Must have activated when it identified the diseased water as poison. Where did you get that?” 

“I have no idea.” Lynn says. “I think I’ve always had it. It keeps coming back to me somehow.” She shrugs and puts it back in her pocket. “I had actually forgotten about it.” 

Arcade rubs his eyes. “At least we know where the disease is coming from. The city gets water from the local river. Something upstream must be polluting it.”

“It’s going to spread to every city downstream,” Lynn realizes. “We need to find a way to cleanse the entire river, or this whole region will be without clean water.” 

He sighs. “I’d like to find a cure first, but I agree with you: stopping the spread of the disease should be our first priority. We need to get the source of the infection, and find a way to remove it.” He grabs a slate and chalk and writes some hurried instructions, giving it to a priestess. “Calisto, you’re in charge now. Start trying these remedies on the worst of the patients. I’ll be back soon.” 

Lynn leads the way out of the tent. “How are we going to get to the head of the river in time?” 

Arcade stops and looks around, then motions to an alley. He frowns and closes his eyes, then opens them. “Do you trust me?” 

“What kind of loaded question is that?” Lynn asks.  _ I trust him to be a doctor, but he's already dodged the truth on his personal life. Not exactly the most trustworthy of people, though Julie did give him her seal of approval.  _

“Okay, fair. I'm going to try and teleport us to the river.” 

“Well, I trust you to do  _ that. _ ” Lynn closes her eyes and puts her hands on Arcade’s shoulders. He does the same, then quietly counts down. 

“Three, two, one, and-”

* * *

\- and the world flashes white behind her eyelids. The ground is suddenly uneven beneath her feet, and she slightly stumbles on the rocky ground. Lynn opens her eyes. They're standing next to a rushing river, a stiff breeze cooling their skin. 

“I'm glad that worked.” Lynn kneels on the bank, her legs slightly shaking. 

“Me too,” Arcade mutters. “Try testing the water here, to see if we are far enough upstream.”

Lynn dips the pearl into the water. It turns black as molten sludge. She sighs and gets to her feet. “Not yet. Are we going to have to go again?” Arcade sighs too, and-

\- and they're further up the river. They jump two more times, Lynn's stomach starting to churn from the constant unnaturalness of the event.  _ This is something only meant for the Gods. A mortal like myself has no place trying to keep up with them.  _

This time, they see an obstruction in the stream. Arcade scrunches up his nose in disgust at the smell. Lynn, to her surprise, has smelled worse. A large brown bear lies dead in the water, a long spear piercing it's throat. The poor animal has been dead for a few days, rotting away across the stream. 

“Who would do such a thing?” Lynn asks, picking her way towards the carcass. 

“Caesar.” 

Lynn stops and looks back. Arcade hasn't moved. “What? Why would he do this? Doesn't he just concern himself with war?” 

“This is a warning. The bear is the symbol of Kimball, Caesar's only true rival.” He sighs. “Caesar's been planning on overthrowing him for a while now.” 

Lynn puts two and two together, and she sees four clear as day. “So Caesar was trying to recruit you, and that's why you were living in the middle of nowhere.” 

“That's right. A lot of Gods disappeared, so I wasn't particularly missed. Some of them he threatened, but he just always wanted to  _ talk  _ with me, trying in vain to make me see his side. Didn't work, obviously. And I got sick of Vulpes constantly hounding me, so I set up a safe house and left.”

“Couldn't you have hid with Julie?” Lynn asks. “Or wouldn't your parents help you out?” She realizes that he hasn't mentioned any family. “Sorry, that was insensitive.” 

Arcade waves a hand in dismissal. “It's fine. I didn't want to implicate Julie. And as for my parents, my mother died a few years ago, and I don't know who my father was. Besides, the less people involved, the better. Caesar doesn't take  _ no  _ for an answer.” 

Lynn hums.  _ It's nice to finally get the truth out of him. I can see why he would want to keep some things hidden, though. These days, it's never easy to tell who you can really trust.  _ “We'd better get to work clearing this. Did you have an idea for cleansing the water?” 

“I thought I'd see how serious the problem was first,” he admits. 

Together, they haul the bear carcass to shore, well out of the path of the stream. Lynn tests the water again, and still finds it unsafe to drink. “Maybe we should ask Julie for help,” she suggests. 

“It’s a good idea. I’m not sure if I would be able to fix something this big on my own.” He presses his hands together and mutters something under his breath, his hands starting to glow. 

Lynn has an entire second to be forcefully reminded of her and Julie’s  _ last  _ meeting. Her face heats up and she desperately tries to think of anything else, anything besides her soft hands and even softer lips.  _ Stop thinking about her pretty eyes. Focus instead about the impending fall of the stability of Vegas. Stop reminiscing about her sweet voice.  _

“How can I be of assistance?” that sweet and tender voice says. Julie gracefully steps into existence, her long dress waving gently in the wind. 

“Julie, good to see you.” Arcade shows her the river. “We need help purifying the water.” 

She notices Lynn and gives her a friendly smile. “Well, keeping things clean  _ is  _ my specialty. I think I can set something up.” She and Arcade quietly discuss things. Lynn stands by the water and tries not to eavesdrop. 

“-could be a sign of his favor,” Julie says.

“-don’t think the words Ulysses and  _ favor  _ go together.” 

“Well, have you asked her?”

“-doesn’t know.”

Lynn frowns.  _ Are they talking about me?  _

Julie puts a hand on her shoulder and she guiltily jumps. “Sorry for startling you, but I had a question. Arcade said you had a special pearl, some sort of protective talisman?” 

“Yes,” Lynn shows it to her. “I’ve always had it, I think. It sort of comes back to me if I lose it.” 

“Interesting.” Julie takes her hand and turns it over. Lynn shivers when Julie’s fingers brush her wrist. “I think you might have a natural affinity with water. Do you know of a God named Ulysses?” 

Lynn thinks of her offering to the tempestuous God to enter the Underworld. “Yes. My family might have had a shrine to him in our house? He was popular in our village.”  _ We lived by the sea,  _ she remembers. 

Julie hums. “I think he may have given you a blessing, a gift unheard of for any other mortal. Our plan,” she looks back at Arcade, who is observing the stream, “we think we can channel our respective powers through you and into the water. I don’t think either of us could do this alone, but we could use you as a conduit.” She pauses and looks serious, herb-green eyes locking with Lynn’s. “But only if you agree.” 

“Would it be dangerous?” She immediately asks.  _ I trust them, but still… The way they speak, I’m not sure either of them has done something like this before. Arcade was nervous enough using some of his power to take me with him.  _

“It shouldn’t be.” Julie caresses her arm, and Lynn’s heart stutters at the closeness, the intimacy of their interaction. “We wouldn’t do anything that would hurt you. It should just feel weird and you might be a little tired afterwards, but not anything serious.”

Lynn looks in her eyes and  _ trusts  _ her.  _ I thought I didn’t have anything to bring to the table when it came to these all-powerful Gods.  _ She swallows and nods. “I’ll do it.”  _  I am powerful in my own right. People need me. Elijah needed me, in his own twisted way. Veronica and Christine needed me. That creepy cult in Novac needed me. And they do too. And at least they bother to ask now. _

Arcade and Julie quietly discuss rituals and offerings, then set up their plan. 

Lynn kneels on the muddy bank, a wreath of strong-smelling chamomile flowers on her head. Arcade stands on her left, Julie on her right, their hands on her shoulders. In her left hand is a pungent cypress branch, and in her right hand a sweet sprig of violet flowers. 

“Ready?” Julie asks. 

“I suppose.” Lynn shifts to get more comfortable. “I won’t get any more prepared than I am now. Let’s do it.” She leans forward and dips the plants into the rushing water. At the same time, all three of them close their eyes. The powerful deities for concentration, Lynn just in case.

Something hot and itchy trickles down through her right arm, youthful energy pouring into the flowers. Julie is gentle, gently guiding her warm and soft power down from Lynn’s shoulder. Still, it tickles, and Lynn fights the urge to squirm. 

If Julie’s energy was the sun, Arcade’s is the moon. It’s cold and sharp, prickling spikes shooting down her arm. He forces it too fast, and Lynn winces as her fingers become ice-cold and frozen stiff. Her right side, which was previously pleasantly warm, now feels burning hot in contrast.  _ Breathe,  _ she reminds herself, and her lungs strain from the deep breath she takes, torn between panting and shivering. Her hands are starting to go numb. 

Julie squeezes her shoulder a little too hard, her right side growing even hotter. Arcade hums and lets more power flow through her. Tears burn behind her closed eyes, and she whines through chattering teeth. Everything aches and burns, and it feels like nothing is working. Something’s stuck, something’s  _ wrong _ . 

The wind picks up. Lynn becomes aware of someone standing behind her. They feel familiar. They smell like salt. She keeps her eyes closed. They lean forward and uncurl the fingers of her left hand, releasing her white-knuckled grip on the cypress branch. She lets them, lets the plant be whisked away by the stream. 

“Lynn?” Arcade whispers, and she can feel his power hesitate, then continue its freezing path down her arm. Except now it’s tingling and stabbing into her stiff fingers, and she can’t bite back the pained cry that slips from her lips. 

“Ssh,” the person behind her rumbles, his voice deep and soft like distant crashing waves. “You’re doing great.” He gently wrestles the violets from her shaking right hand, and the flowers are soon far downstream. 

Julie says nothing, but the goddess pauses before lighting up Lynn’s arm. Her fingers itch and shake in the tepid water, one hand numbingly cold, the other burning hot. The person behind her - Ulysses, she realizes, who else would it be - takes both of her hands and presses them together, palms flat. 

If you mix hot and cold water together, they settle and become a comfortable temperature. 

That is  _ not  _ what happens when Lynn’s hands come together. It’s like putting a cat and a dog in a room, and watching them break into a fight. Two bulls butting heads, two stars hitting each other and destroying themselves in a shower of sparks. Lynn screams, fireworks exploding behind her eyes. She struggles to separate her hands, but Ulysses holds her arms underwater. 

“You can handle it,” he urgently whispers. “You have to bring them together. It’s going to hurt, but you can do it.” 

_ I’m not sure I can. But all I can do is try.  _ She locks her fingers together and tries to focus on bringing these two opposing forces together.  _ Purity.  _ She thinks of Arcade’s bright white robes, Julie’s sparkling eyes.  _ Harmony.  _ In the Temple of Death herself, the synchronized effort to bring down Elijah. It starts to hurt a little less, and she starts to breathe a little easier.  _ Water. Clean the water. Clean like the sea.  _

She remembers falling into the sea with a bleeding head. She remembers falling into the sea and waking up in a gray-toned place. She remembers playing on the beach. She remembers falling asleep. She remembers Ulysses, and the pearl, and years and years of expectations, of being her parents’ source of pride and hope.  _ I’m everyone’s hope now.  _

Julie and Arcade’s energies align and fuse together like two sides of a necklace clicking together. The river lights up white behind her eyelids, a torrent of cleansing energy shooting down it. Her whole body shakes from the effort of channeling so much power.  _ I can handle it. Just a little while longer.  _ Her ears ring and her head spins. 

And then it’s over: it’s finished. All of the energy flooding her body dissipates, and she sags in exhaustion. 

Lynn’s eyes flutter open, and she turns. But Ulysses is already gone, not even leaving footprints in the mud. “Where-” she croaks, then leans forward and coughs. 

“What in the blazes were you  _ thinking _ ?” Arcade yells, gesturing furiously. “Letting go like that, there was a  _ reason  _ we didn’t just directly go through your body!” He grabs her left arm and turns it over, rubbing her hand. “It’s a miracle you weren’t seriously hurt!” 

“Are you okay?” Julie rubs her shoulders. “Lynn, I’m so sorry. I said it wouldn’t hurt. I thought- we both thought it would be easy. I guess we were wrong to think we could just mix ourselves together like that.” 

Lynn leans into her touch. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to let go,” she whispers. She looks down at her hands, which are still tingling and stinging, though there doesn’t seem to be any visible damage. “He did it.” 

Arcade frowns. “Who?  _ Who  _ did it?” 

Lynn looks between them. “Ulysses, I think. Didn’t you hear him talking? He was standing right behind me.” Instinctively, she looks over her shoulder. Julie and Arcade follow her gaze. 

“There was no one else there,” Julie slowly says. “You said he made you put your hands together?” She shares a worried glance with Arcade. “That was really dangerous, Lynn. You’re not- mortals aren’t supposed to be able to handle our power by themselves.” 

“It turned out fine, though,” Lynn argues. “It wasn’t going to work anyways without doing it.” She leans over and looks at her reflection in the water, face ashen and lips slightly gray. She reaches down and cups her hands, dipping them into the stream and bringing the clear liquid to her lips. She closes her eyes and drinks the water, cool and sweet-tasting.  _ At least it worked. It was worth it.  _

When she’s done, Julie and Arcade each silently take an arm and help her to her feet, steadying her when she dizzily stumbles, her knees weak. It feels like she’s been kneeling in the mud for hours, not just a few minutes.

“Here,” Julie says, cupping Lynn’s chin and tilting her face towards her own. “Is this okay?” 

Lynn nods. Julie leans in and kisses her, and Lynn has enough presence of mind to reciprocate this time. Her body is filled with a warm and soothing ribbon of energy, lending her some strength and helping her feel a little more alive. When Julie steps away, Lynn finds she can stand on her own. 

“Thanks.” Lynn smiles, then kisses her once more for good measure. Arcade quietly coughs to get their attention. 

“We did great here, but there are a few cities that could still use our help,” he notes. “We’d better get back, if you’re feeling up to it.” 

Lynn runs a hand through her hair. “I think I’ll manage. Let’s go.” 

“Be careful,” Julie reaches out and pats Arcade’s shoulder. “Both of you.” 

“I’ll try.” Arcade takes Lynn’s shoulders. “Alright, you know the routine. Three, two, one, and-”

* * *

\- and the sounds of the city suddenly surround them. They stand in the same alley they had left from. In the square where rows of tents are set up, a cheer rises up from the priestesses and patients. 

“What’s going on?” Arcade asks one of them. “What’s happened?” 

She smiles wide. “Oh, you just missed it! It was a miracle! Everyone started getting better immediately.” 

“Do you know why?” Lynn eagerly asks. 

“I have no idea, but it was surely a blessing from the Gods!” the priestess bustles away to help an elderly patient stand from their bed. 

Arcade rubs his eyes. “Well, at least that got cleaned up easily.” 

Lynn notices that his shoulders are still tense. “What’s wrong? It’s great that everything got fixed so quickly.” 

“Yes and no.” Arcade steers them away from prying ears. “On one hand, it saves a lot of lives. On the other hand, that means that whoever killed that bear didn’t just poison the water; they placed a very powerful curse on it, one that was reversed when you recklessly channeled our power in a way you weren’t supposed to. Which explains why our cleansing ritual didn’t work out as planned, and why it was so difficult to accomplish. A curse of that magnitude…” He frowns. “Well, we’re lucky that all three of us weren’t killed trying to reverse it.” 

“So you think that Caesar  _ cursed  _ everyone? Why?” Lynn leans in to whisper. “What purpose would that accomplish?” She fights back a yawn.

“Many reasons, none of them good ones,” Arcade mutters. He notices her exhaustion. “I know you probably want to get back up to Vegas as soon as possible, but you didn’t sleep last night and quite frankly, as your doctor,” he gives her an ironic grin, “I prescribe a full night’s rest.” 

Lynn grins back.  _ Glad to see he’s gained a sense of humor.  _ “Sounds good to me. Come on, I think I saw an inn a few streets back. Vegas can wait for us until tomorrow.” As Arcade turns away, Lynn feels someone staring at them, and quickly peeks over her shoulder. She catches a flash of blond hair before it flashes out of sight. 

_ Vulpes?  _ Lynn frowns, then uneasily turns and follows Arcade, ignoring the worried churning of her stomach. She glances over her shoulder once more.  _ I’ll worry about that later. I’m sure it’s nothing. Just a bad feeling.  _

_ An awful feeling. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...This was not supposed to end up this long, I swear. 
> 
> Cypress is the symbol of Asclepius (and is therefore a symbol of medicine/cleanliness, etc.), and idk why I chose violets for Julie (they are Aphrodite's symbol), but it seemed right. Chamomile wreaths were worn for protection. Chamomile was often used in Ancient Greek medicine (ever had Chamomile tea? It's really good for you).  
> All of these Gods' powers are starting to turn sort of super-hero-ish, especially Vulpes and Arcade. Chill, guys. Arcade in particular seemed too OP, so I had to give him a ton of restrictions.
> 
> Just to make it clear, Gods can still be killed in conventional ways. It's why Vulpes doesn't stick around, and why Arcade doesn't take any precautions when it comes to his own safety. 
> 
> Next chapter: an assassination success-failure ratio: 1-1.


	9. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go wrong. The Fifth Trial.
> 
> Minor character death, maybe a little graphic?

Vegas is just as beautiful in the daylight as it was in the moonlight. When Lynn and Arcade arrive at the gates, someone is waiting for them. 

“Greetings, Marked o-one,” he says, standing to attention when he sees them approach. A bow is strapped to his back and a scarf is wrapped around his nose and mouth. “My lord Kimball a-awaits an audience with y-you.” He inclines his head towards her, then hesitates before bowing at the waist towards Arcade. 

_ I have to deliver the artifact to House,  _ Lynn remembers.  _ I should really get there first, but what if-  _ She tries to stop that train of thought.  _ I  _ **_am_ ** _ going to give him the artifact. There’s no reason to keep it for myself. Though I was the one who did all of the work to get it, and nearly died in the process.  _ She shakes herself out of her thoughts. “Thank you. I will be at his temple shortly.” 

The messenger nods and turns away, disappearing down a golden street. 

“Are you going to House first, or Kimball?” Arcade asks as they start walking. 

Lynn shrugs. “Kimball will only take a little while. I’ll go there first. I’m sure House wouldn’t mind. It’s a difference of giving him the artifact right now, or in thirty minutes.”  _ That gives me thirty minutes to make up my mind.  _

Vegas is quiet and empty, only a few Gods and Goddesses sitting on the benches of the elaborate gardens. They pass mansion after mansion, large sprawling temples. Before they get to Kimball’s temple, they have to pass Caesar’s. Lynn sneakily peeks up at Arcade. His shoulders are tense and he looks like he wants to run, but then he takes a breath and steels himself.  _ He’s going to have to face them soon enough. Caesar already knows that he’s back anyways, thanks to Vulpes.  _

Speaking of, Vulpes is waiting for them, leaning against a pillar and lazily flipping a knife in his hand. He stows the weapon when he sees them. 

Arcade crosses his arms and scowls. Lynn jumps when Vulpes is suddenly next to them.  _ I forgot he could do that. He would be a formidable foe. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.  _

“I don’t want-” Arcade starts. 

“He just wants to  _ talk _ ,” Vulpes interrupts. Arcade huffs and turns away, then startles when Vulpes suddenly appears on that side. 

“We have to go. Kimball is waiting for us,” Lynn says. 

Vulpes chuckles. “Kimball is waiting for  _ you _ , Courier.” He takes Arcade’s arm. “But  _ you  _ have another invitation.” Then both of them disappear. 

Two seconds later, Arcade reappears in the exact spot he left, fuming. Vulpes teleports to his side an instant later. 

“Stop it!” Arcade says, folding his arms. “I don’t have anything to say to Caesar.”

Vulpes seems undeterred by his attitude. “But he has plenty of things to say to you.” He grabs Arcade’s arm. 

“Hey-” Arcade’s yell is cut off as he and Vulpes disappear again. Lynn only has to wait a moment before they’re back. 

Vulpes rolls his eyes when Arcade tries to dodge him. “I can do this all day, but Caesar will only grow irritable if you make him wait.” 

“Alright, Vulpes, stop it,” Lynn interjects, stepping between them.  _ I’m already irritable.  _  “Arcade, can I talk to you for a minute?” She side-eyes Vulpes. “ _ In private _ ?” 

Vulpes sighs and teleports a few feet away. Lynn motions with her hand, and he goes even further. 

“Lynn,” Arcade hisses, “the last thing I want to do is go in there.” 

“I know,” she whispers, “but he’s not going to give up. You said Caesar wasn’t threatening you. Maybe you could just go in there, see what he wants, and get out.” She peeks at Vulpes, who pretends like he’s not trying to listen in. “It’ll get him off your back for a little while, right?” 

He grimaces. “That’s true, I’m just worried he’s going to try something. Everyone else who’s refused to side with him have  _ disappeared _ , Lynn. I know of some who are in hiding and safe, but others are just  _ gone _ .” 

Lynn has an idea. “I’ll go in with you. If Kimball wants to see me, Caesar will want to influence me too. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince Vulpes to wait a little while if you promise that you’ll actually go.” 

“I’m surprised he hasn’t demanded your presence already,” Arcade admits. He waves Vulpes over. “Lynn needs to talk to Kimball first, then we’ll go talk to Caesar. Together. Promise.” 

Vulpes frowns, looking between them. Lynn wishes she could read him, but he’s inscrutable. “Fine. I’ll tell him to expect you.” He turns on his heel and disappears. 

Lynn lets her shoulders relax. “Let’s go.” 

* * *

“I’m grateful that you accepted my invitation,” Kimball says, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve heard much about your exploits. Very impressive” 

Lynn cradles her cup of hot tea. “Thank you.” She smiles and waits for Kimball to continue.  _ He wants me to flatter him or deflect the compliment. I will do neither.  _

“Surely you know that there are tension brewing in Vegas. Sides must be chosen,” Kimball bluntly says. He takes a sip of his own tea. “Caesar surely has also invited you to his temple. And from what I’ve heard, his favorite spy has been keeping a close eye on you these last few weeks.” He looks at her for confirmation. 

“That’s true,” she agrees.  _ If he’s going to ask for my loyalty, I’m not sure what I’m going to say. From what Arcade and Veronica said, Kimball doesn’t realize that his power is slipping. He’s not exactly on the winning side here. Not that I want Caesar to take over, either.  _

_ And House?  _ She asks herself.  _ He seems content with letting Vegas be his own personal playground, happy to watch and do nothing when chaos is brewing.  _

_ And me? What do I want? _

“I’m going to be honest with you.” Kimball sips his tea, gently blowing on it to cool it. He’s the perfect image of godly manners, and Lynn feels humble and unrefined in comparison.  _ All of the jewels and elegant gowns can’t hide the fact that I’m only a mortal.  _  “I’d like you to formally align yourself with me. You don’t have to decide right now, but I’d like you to hear my side.” 

“I’ll hear you out,” Lynn says, getting comfortable in her seat. There’s no one else in the small sitting room other than the two of them. Arcade was waiting in the courtyard outside. Servants had come in several minutes prior and served them a pot of herbal tea and a small plate of pastries. 

Kimball smiles. “That’s all I ask. It all started when we realized that House’s stance of noninterference had left a power gap, particularly in the western farming communities…” 

He drones on about the formation of his cult and his new, more organized system of society. Lynn suppresses a sigh of boredom, having already picked apart his argument.  _ Equality without measures to enforce that equality. Values that sound good on paper but ultimately become corrupted and twisted. I’m not sure if this is better than Caesar’s dictatorial ideas.  _

She pretends to be listening, daintily raising her teacup to her lips. She wasn’t a fan of tea, but any distraction was welcome right now.  _ I’m not sure how I want to reject Kimball.  _

Lynn feels a familiar sensation, a jarring disassociation as her arm freezes with the cup an inch from her closed lips. Then her hand automatically lowers.  _ Oh. Oh no.  _ Her eyes widen in realization. 

Kimball is startled out of his monologue by the sound of a teacup smashing on the ground. Lynn suddenly stands. The cup lays in pieces at her feet.

“Stop,” she says.  _ Oh Gods. If my cup is poisoned…  _ She grabs Kimball’s half-empty teacup with one hand, the other one already reaching into her pocket. He protests, shaking like a leaf. The blue pearl sinks to the bottom of the cup, the amber liquid turning inky black. 

Kimball opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a gurgled groan, his pale face starting to turn even more ashen. 

“Help!” Lynn screams, torn between finding someone to help and staying to do what she can to help Kimball.  _ Which isn’t anything. I don’t know a thing about medicine.  _ “Arcade!” She yells, and runs for the door, throwing it open. Arcade abruptly rises to his feet from the bench.

“What's going on?”

All she can do is point into the room. Arcade gasps and rushes in, grabbing Kimball’s face and opening his mouth. His hands glow and pulse, but nothing happens.

_ When it happens, you will know it. You must be quick to react.  _ The Forecaster had prophesied.

_ This is it. This has to be.  _ Lynn thinks fast. “Whoever did this might still be here. I'm going to search the place.” 

Arcade grimly nods. “I'm going to do what I can.” Kimball’s breathing is starting to stutter and slow. “I don't think he's going to make it. Be careful.”

_ The servants. Maybe one of them poisoned him- no, poisoned  _ **_us_ ** _. Whoever did this wants me dead too. Gods, if only I'd realized sooner.  _ Lynn sprints into the kitchen and sees nothing besides a few startled cooks. “Has anyone suspicious been around here?” She asks one, and only gets a confused shrug in reply. Lynn moves into the pantry, then into the garden, then keeps running in the hopes of finding some intruder.  _ Maybe whoever did this already left. But there's a chance that they wanted to wait and confirm their success.  _

She rounds a corner and sees someone out of place down the hallway. 

“Hey!” She shouts, and they turn. Lynn skids to a stop as she recognizes them. 

Vulpes stares at her, eyes widening slightly in a honest expression of surprise. Then he turns on his heel and disappears. 

By the time Lynn makes it back to Arcade, Kimball is already dead. Arcade stands and raises his eyebrows at her, eyes serious. 

Lynn answers his unspoken question. “Vulpes.” She doesn’t know what to do.  _ Who knows who’s next? With Kimball gone, House is the only thing keeping Vegas together. And he’s not even doing that good of a job.  _ “We need to stop him from killing anyone else.” 

“He’s probably back in Caesar’s temple,” Arcade says, running a hand through his hair. “I can get us in there stealthily, but we’ll have to split up to find him.” 

Lynn nods and draws her sword. “That’s good enough. Are you armed?” 

He shakes his head. “No, of course not.” 

“Here,” Lynn tries to give him her sword. “You take this, I’ll use my bow.” 

“No!” He protests. “I’m a doctor, I’m not about to kill someone! That’s the literal opposite of my job, Lynn.” 

She sighs. “What was your plan if you ran into Vulpes, then? Talk him out of killing everybody?” 

“I don’t know,” Arcade says, “I guess I’d just run, try and draw him towards you.” 

Lynn sheathes her sword and holds out a dagger instead. “At least take this. It would make me feel better.” Arcade rubs his eyes, then acquiesces and takes the dagger, tucking it into a pocket. “Okay. There’s no time to waste.” She closes her eyes and holds out her hand to Arcade. 

He takes a deep breath and takes it. “Three, two, one…” 

* * *

Arcade doesn’t like how silent Caesar’s temple is. Soldiers are always drilling just in the other room, the sound of their boots muffled by walls and curtains. There are sounds just out of his hearing, and he’s starting to jump at the slightest noise. 

The room he’s in is luxurious and filled with heavy curtains, cushions scattered on the floor. He hears someone entering the room and ducks behind a curtain, the space behind completely dark. Arcade holds his breath. A pair of booted feet pad across the room. Arcade, trying to head for where he thinks the door is, brushes the curtains, and the fabric ripples. 

The footsteps stop. Then they start up again, this time heading in a different direction. 

He covers his mouth with a hand, his breathing suddenly sounding too loud in the silence. All he can hear is his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. A shadow moves in front of him; or maybe it’s just his mind playing tricks. 

Then a flash of metal swings at him, and that’s  _ not  _ just his imagination. Arcade bites back a gasp and dodges backwards, reaching blindly forward. His fingers close around a smooth wooden handle and he jerks it forward. The other person grunts and tries to wrest the weapon back, but Arcade is taller than them, and uses his leverage to his advantage. 

Without thinking, he thrusts the spear forward. In that moment, all he wants to do is stay alive. He feels the spearhead slide into flesh with a sickening  _ thunk _ , someone gasping in surprise and pain. Arcade kicks out and pushes them back out of the curtains and into the light. He stops short at what he sees, his stomach sinking in horror.

Vulpes falls to his knees, hands wrapped around the long handle of the spear, his teeth tightly clenched.

“What were you  _ thinking _ ?” Arcade gasps, skidding to Vulpes’ side and pressing his hands to the wound. “No, don't pull it out, that'll just make it worse. Here, lay down.” Vulpes weakly slumps to the side, Arcade gently lowering him to the floor. Blood is pooling underneath Vulpes’ body and soaking into Arcade’s clothing. “I- I’m sorry- I didn't mean to, I didn’t know it was you-”

Vulpes chuckles, spitting out some blood. “Calm yourself, Arcade. There's nothing you can do. I guess that’s what I get for sneaking around all the time.” He reaches his hand up to the back of Arcade’s neck, tugging the doctor down so his face is just inches from his own, smearing his pale skin and hair with dark blood. “Fitting, you that have never laid a foul hand on another, that the first man you kill should be your own brother.” 

“What?” Arcade shakes his head. “I-no, that,” he shakes his head again, nearly speechless, “that's not true. You're lying.” 

Vulpes smiles, his teeth stained red like his namesake. “Is it so hard to believe? Why did you think Caesar was so  _ disappointed  _ at your rejections? Why he so relentlessly tried to convince you to join him, instead of just threatening you as he did the other Gods?” Vulpes smirks. “Why he cursed an entire river just to draw you out of hiding?” 

“He did  _ what _ ?” Arcade remembers his surprise at discovering that the river was cursed, not simply poisoned.

“We knew that that  _ Courier  _ would ask one of  your friends for help, and that she would lead me right to you. Of course,” Vulpes pauses to cough up blood, “the Courier wasn’t supposed to make it out of your predictable purification ritual alive. Mortals are so  _ fragile _ , it would be all too easy to accidentally kill her with your power, especially when you try to break a curse  _ that  _ strong. And once she was out of the way, you would be left relatively defenseless. If we couldn’t manipulate you through guilt alone, we could easily resort to threats.” 

“No,” Arcade pleads. He wipes at his face with bloody hands. His brother's blood. Everything is starting to make too much sense. “Why? Why do all this for me?” 

“Caesar may be surrounded by his children, but his most important was always missing: he was trying to get his  _ heir  _ back. How it pained him, that his eldest son was so  _ weak,  _ so  _ stubborn _ .” Vulpes turns his head at the clatter of soldiers outside the door. “He’ll be saddened at my loss, of course, but he'll be so  _ proud  _ of you. A sign that you are finally worthy to join him. No longer the pacifistic studious boy you were when you first became a God. No, now you're his son.  _ Congratulations. _ ” His eyes slide shut and his breath weakens. Vulpes hand limply falls from Arcade’s hair, his hand twitching once before lying still on the cold marble floor.

Arcade doesn't have time to react. The door flies open and two guards rush in. 

* * *

Lynn slips through the rooms and corridors surrounding Caesar’s offices. She sticks to the shadows, avoiding the soldiers that noisily clatter to and fro. 

She ducks into an empty closet just as a pair of heavy footfalls turn the corner of the hallway. She keeps the door cracked open to peek out. 

Lynn smothers a loud gasp. Two guards grimly march Arcade down the hallway. He’s soaked in blood from the knees down, and it's dripping from his hands and smeared across his face.  _ What in the world happened?  _ Lynn sneaks out behind them and follows them to the throne room, slipping through the doors with a handful of soldiers. 

The man who Lynn assumes is Caesar stands up from his throne. “Explain,” he demands, his eyes steely and knife-sharp. 

“Vulpes is dead,” one guard declares. The two soldiers let go of Arcade and step back. 

“Did you kill him?” Caesar asks Arcade. He looks almost...impressed.

Arcade nods, then clears his throat. He's looking at a point on the wall slightly over Caesar's shoulder, back ramrod-straight and eyes blank. “It was an accident.” His voice is flat, but his hands are just barely shaking. 

Lynn frowns.  _ If that's true, why does he look almost upset about it? Arcade hated Vulpes. I know he said he didn't want to kill anybody, but this is  _ **_Vulpes_ ** _ we're talking about. _

“An accident?” Caesar raises his eyebrows and steps closer to Arcade, who quickly steps back. “Still, a feat few would be able to accomplish. Of course, we could follow Legion rules on this affair: he who kills an officer gains his position. I could even make an exception for you, promote you to-”

“Stop it!” Arcade interrupts, hands balled up in the fabric of his robe. “I know what you're doing. He told me. It's the truth, isn't it?” 

_ What is he talking about?  _ Lynn keenly watches the way Caesar stiffens at the words.  _ The truth about what? _

“I see”. Caesar steps forward and frowns. Arcade steps back and mirrors his expression. “You don't seem to be taking the news well.” 

“And how did you  _ want  _ me to react? Did you want me to bow down and kiss your boots? Did you really think I’d be  _ happy  _ about this? You want me to realize the error of my ways, and how you were right all along? You really think that something has changed, that I should join you without question just because I’m your  _ son _ ?” Arcade’s screaming at this point, the most animated Lynn's ever seen him. 

_ His  _ **_son_ ** _?  _ She reels, as does the rest of the room.  _ No wonder Caesar has been so obsessed with recruiting him. Oh my stars, and Arcade  _ **_hates_ ** _ Caesar. No wonder he's so mad.  _

“It's your duty to ally with me!” Caesar argues, ever impassive. “It's just natural. This stubbornness, this ridiculous rebellion, it's just postponing the inevitable, Arcade.” 

“I don't have a  _ duty  _ to you!” Arcade leans forward. “You didn't  _ raise  _ me, you didn't  _ help  _ me when I most needed it, you have done  _ nothing  _ to merit my loyalty or my respect! You know  _ nothing  _ about me!” He whirls and starts for the door. “I don't owe you  _ anything _ ,” he hisses over his shoulder. 

Caesar sighs and motions to the two guards flanking the door. 

“What-hey!” Arcade tries to jerk his arms out of the guards’ hold. “Let me go! You can't do this!” 

“I can, and I will,” Caesar threatens. “Things are quickly changing, Arcade. Either you're with me, or well, you  _ will _ be.” His voice turns sweet and honeyed. “I don't have to do this if you just  _ agree  _ to join me. You were always too stubborn for your own good, causing problems for everyone else. Do you want to make this easy, or should I curse another city?” 

Lynn casually makes her way to the door. So far, nobody seems to have paid her much attention.  _ I've got to act fast if I want to help him get out of here. But how? A hundred guards would be on us if we tried to run. _

Arcade grits his teeth and tries to wriggle away from the guards. Caesar rolls his eyes as Arcade tries to kick one of them.

Then something changes and he slumps, head tucked down. “Fine,” he growls, staring at the pool of blood that has slowly been dripping from the hem of his garment. He wipes his hands on a clean portion of his robe, red handprints staining the bright white cloth. 

_ Is he serious?  _ Lynn is mere feet from Arcade.  _ Does he really intend on giving in that easily?  _

“Excellent,” Caesar smiles. “Glad to see you’re finally coming around. I always knew you’d inherited my intellect.” He nods and the two guards release Arcade then step back. 

Arcade seizes the moment and moves faster than anyone thought he was capable of doing. He draws Lynn’s dagger from his pocket and, as the guards shout and start forward, holds it to his own neck, tilting his head back slightly and glaring down at Caesar. 

Lynn, tensely watching the scene, reacts just as quickly, darting to Arcade’s back and drawing her sword. “Nobody move!” she shouts, brandishing her weapon at a few guards. “If anyone tries to stop him, I’ll turn around and stab him myself. Keep your distance.” 

“Thanks,” Arcade whispers, then turns and addresses Caesar. “Let me go, or I’ll kill myself. And I’ll do it in such a way that no doctor will be able to save me.” Caesar looks furious, stepping forward. Arcade flinches and presses the blade against his skin, a bead of blood forming underneath the sharp steel. “I mean it. Back off, or you’ll lose two sons in one day.” 

Everyone in the room collectively holds their breath, looking back and forth between father and son. Caesar clenches his fists, then lets them relax. 

“Fine.” He waves at the guards. “Let them go.” He glares at Arcade, and gets a glower in return. “Just know, this is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make. There’s no going back now, Arcade. You do this, you’re turning your back on me forever.” 

“Suits me just fine,” Arcade steps back, Lynn following his lead and making sure his path is clear. “I never wanted to be your son anyways.” Together, they back out of the room and around the corner of the hallway. Only then does Arcade drop the dagger, his hands shaking.  _ Oh no. This is not the time nor the place for an existential breakdown. He can freak out later. _

“We have to run!” Lynn grabs his arm and pulls him towards the front door of Caesar’s temple fortress. Arcade shakes himself and starts running alongside her. They turn through corridor after corridor. Behind them, Caesar’s shouts for guards to stop them echo through the halls. Arcade, his long robes heavy with blood, is starting to tire, his scholarly attire encumbering him more than Lynn’s shorter tunic. 

“Lynn, wait.” Arcade pants. “We won’t make it out the front door. There’ll be soldiers all over.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Lynn sheaths her sword to free up her arms for running. 

Arcade looks around. “Yes. Follow me.” He leads the way through a few rooms. The noise of guards and shouting draws closer. 

They emerge into a brightly-lit courtyard and Arcade stops and puts his hands on his knees. “Here,” he wheezes. “Just a second, let me catch my breath.”

“What?” Lynn searches for any sign of an exit. “There’s nothing-” 

“Halt!” A soldier pounds into the courtyard behind them. Lynn barely dodges the spear he throws, jumping backwards and bumping into Arcade with a shout. 

“Trust me!” Arcade catches her as they fall and twists them into a roll. Lynn closes her eyes and-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -and it's a cliffhanger! Sorry! 
> 
> Vulpes' death was planned (and mostly written) soooo far in advance, I've been waiting forever for that plot twist!  
> Explains why he was acting like an annoying younger brother before...  
> Since Vulpes knew that Lynn was supposed to die when she met with Kimball, he wasn't happy with Arcade saying that they would wait and go in together, since he was worried that Arcade would bolt when Lynn died. That's why he stuck around in Kimball's temple to verify that Lynn really was dead, so he could just grab Arcade as soon as it happened. Of course, his plans were ruined when Lynn didn't die. He thought that the person he was fighting was Lynn, since Arcade normally wouldn't be dong any fighting.
> 
> Sorry Kimball, you were in this story literally just to immediately die. 
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to mention that the particular Arcade-Caesar plot twist was actually inspired by @hygiei on Tumblr, from a [comic](http://hygiei.tumblr.com/post/140256641219/greg-getting-people-to-tell-their-dark-past-by) that they posted.
> 
> Next chapter: Lynn almost dies. Again. And a few familiar faces re-appear.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some familiar faces re-appear.

-and her stomach turns inside out and then back again, her vision flashing white behind her eyelids. Lynn lands on a hard surface before rolling off it and landing with a loud  _ thump  _ on a stone floor. Something shatters. A crowd of people gasp. Lynn cracks open one eye.  _ Arcade must have teleported us. But where are we? _

A few dozen priestess stare down at them with wide eyes. Lynn sits up and winces, rubbing her elbow.  _ I’m going to be bruised all over from this one. Not the most graceful of entrances, that’s for sure.  _ She smells flowers and a sharp herbal scent. A few potted plants, dried herbs strung from every surface. She looks up and behind her to see the altar with a few knocked-over bowls and shattered dishes, then the statue of Julie.  _ Julie’s temple. Good idea. _

Lynn looks over at Arcade. He’s laying on his side on the floor, eyes closed and unmoving. “Arcade?” Lynn crawls to his side, but there’s no visible sign of injury. _He must have hit his head. Great._ _Just another thing gone wrong today._

The priestesses stare at her as she stands up.  _ I need a little help here.  _ “Julie!” She shouts. 

“Madam, please,” a brave priestess approaches. “I don't know who you are, but this is a sacred-”

“Julie!” Lynn ignores her and walks up to the altar and puts both of her hands on the stone, between fragments of shattered bowls and crushed flowers. “Julie, please, it's an emergency!”  _ I don’t know if you can hear me, but I could really use some help right now.  _

“Please leave-” The priestess grabs Lynn's arm. “Please, you're-” 

A flash of light momentarily blinds the room. After Lynn rubs her eyes, she looks up at the altar. 

“Lynn? What are you doing here?” Julie stands in front of them. She notices Arcade sprawled on the floor. “Arcade? What’s wrong? What happened?” 

“It's an emergency.” Lynn says, relieved that she actually appeared. “We needed somewhere safe to go. Can we talk somewhere more private?” 

“Of course, of course,” Julie helps Lynn drag Arcade into an antechamber. None of the assembled priestesses protest, all of them too stunned by the sudden appearance of the deity they've devoted their entire life to. The small chamber has a few chairs around a wobbly table. They prop Arcade up in one of the chairs.

“What’s going on?” Julie asks once they're alone. She checks Arcade’s head, and sighs in relief. “Just a minor injury. He didn’t hit his head hard enough to cause any serious damage, but he’ll be out for a little while. Is he hurt anywhere else? Gods, he’s covered in blood.” She unclips the soaked outer layer of Arcade’s robes and discards it into a corner.

“It’s not his,” Lynn says, collapsing in another chair. “It’s been a stressful day.” Julie bends down and tentatively kisses her, and Lynn feels herself filled with warmth, some of her aches and bruises fading. When they separate, she feels a little better, a little more ready to face the world. “Kimball is dead.”

“What?” Julie gasps. “That’s-”

“Vulpes is dead too,” Lynn continues.  _ Might as well tell her all of the news at once.  _ “Caesar made a move on us. Vegas isn’t safe anymore, not for either of us.”  _ I’m not sure if Arcade wants anyone else knowing about Caesar being his father. I’ll let him tell her that himself.  _

Her thoughts are interrupted by Arcade himself, who groans and puts his hands on the sides of his head. 

“Don’t move too fast, you took a really hard knock on your head,” Julie says, putting a hand on his forehead. 

“Julie?” he sighs with relief, relaxing even more when he sees Lynn hovering behind her. He gratefully takes a glass of water that she offers. 

On one hand, Lynn wants nothing more than to forget about everything that’s happened, and to just hide in Julie’s temple forever.  _ Maybe they wouldn’t find us here. After all, what could I do against Caesar?  _ On the other hand, the God of War would bring nothing but trouble to her and her land.  _ Mortals would be the first to fall under his new regime. Nobody would be safe. I don’t know what the two of us- three, since Julie would help- could do against all of his forces, but I think we have to try.  _

_ I have a choice to make,  _ she realizes.  _ It’s not that I want to rebuild what we had before Caesar sent it all crashing down. Kimball is no longer an option. Caesar is out of the question. But do I want to rock the proverbial boat enough to overthrow House? He was only maintaining a status quo that allowed all sorts of evil things to happen. Evil things like Benny and Elijah-  _ She tunes out Julie and Arcade’s quiet murmuring.  _ Elijah. Christine. Veronica. She could help us, that makes four. And Christine would surely be on our side too. Arcade said he knew of some Gods in hiding from Caesar. Maybe they could come to our aid somehow.  _

“Julie?” Lynn says, then explains her thinking. 

“Perhaps,” Arcade nods. “I know of the twins for sure. Mick and Ralph aren’t the best fighters, but they know how to protect themselves.” 

Julie leans forward. “Ignacio and Beatrix could help us too. And much as I dislike Gloria and her brother, we could use their firepower.” 

Lynn has a hard time keeping up with all of these unfamiliar names.  _ I wish I remembered more about the Gods of this world. Gloria and Jean-Baptiste, I think they preside over the domain of weaponry, but the others?  _

“I have a couple of old friends I could call on,” Arcade adds. “You know Doctor Henry, but Daisy could also help us with her chariot.” 

Julie counts on her fingers. “With Veronica and, Lynn, you said the  _ Wordless One  _ herself? That makes twelve. Enough to mount a real resistance.”

“Others would certainly come to our aid,” Lynn says, already seeing a snag in their plan. “How are we going to contact everyone, though? Not everyone can teleport around like you do,” she nods at Arcade. 

“That’s true,” Julie sighs. “A simple communication circle wouldn’t work. We’d need everyone here to plan.” 

“I could-” Arcade says, but Julie interrupts him with a stern look. 

“You really should not be straining yourself. Going all the way around the continent bringing people back and forth? You’d be worn out by the time we got halfway through. And we’re all going to need our strength for what comes next.” 

Lynn frowns. “Couldn’t we summon everyone or something?” 

“Twelve times? That would take hours,” Arcade argues. “Unless…” 

“Unless we did them all at once.” Julie finishes his sentence. “A mass ritual. It  _ might  _ work, and it would take less time to prepare than twelve separate circles. But,” she looks over at Lynn. 

“But you’d need me to do it, wouldn’t you?” Lynn asks with a heavy stomach. 

Arcade scowls at his feet. “Unfortunately, yes. Gods can ignore other deities’ summons, but not those of mortals. It would be the only way to be sure that the ritual would work.” 

_ He doesn’t look happy about it.  _ Lynn notices that Julie is nervously spinning a bracelet around her wrist.  _ Julie’s worried about it too. Which means that it’s dangerous. Very dangerous. But it’s the only way we’re going to have a fighting chance. And it’s my choice.  _

“Let’s do it.”

* * *

Julie’s temple is a mess. All of the benches and cots in the main room have been pushed to the side and shoved into side rooms, clearing a large space in the middle of the room. An enormous circle has been drawn in chalk. Bunches of herbs and small bowls filled with various substances line the edges of the circle.

Lynn kneels on the chalk edge of the circle. Arcade sits to her left, Julie to her right. Besides them, the temple is empty. Julie had asked all of the priestesses to leave the temple to avoid any unnecessary distractions.

Julie reaches for her hand and squeezes it comfortingly. “If it starts hurting, tell us and we’ll stop, okay? We don’t want a repeat of last time.” 

Lynn privately resolves to only stop the ritual if she starts feeling like she’s dying.  _ It’s not going to be comfortable anyways.  _ “Alright. Are you ready?” Julie nods. Lynn turns to Arcade and puts a hand on his shoulder. “You too?” 

“Just be careful,” he says, but nods and scoots closer. 

Lynn takes a deep breath and puts her hands down on the chalk. Her wrists have a set of matching silver cuff bracelets jingling with Julie’s most powerful protection charms. A similar necklace lays heavy on her collarbone, a precaution of Arcade’s making. A few sprigs of violet flowers are tucked into her hair, intertwined with a wreath of rosemary branches. The wreath sits on top of a delicate ensemble of chains suspending the small blue pearl between her eyes. 

Designs are drawn all over her body in silver paint, intricate swirls and swaths of stars. Her cheeks sport a pair of crescent moons, her knees a collection of interlocking circles, her fingernails painted bright silver. 

Julie and Arcade each put a hand on her shoulder. Their energy is familiar in a soothing way. 

Her right side is warm, growing steadily hotter.  _ Just like Julie herself. She’s always friendly, and gets even friendlier once you get to know her.  _

Her left side starts to get cold, a few splinters of cold sparks shooting down her arm.  _ Cold like Arcade seems at first, but there’s a hot layer underneath all of that.  _ Lynn frowns. Her right side feels like it’s too close to a fire, but her left side is tepidly cool, like a shady tree instead of a crackling glacier.  _ He’s holding back for some reason.  _

“Stop for a second,” she says, opening her eyes and turning to Arcade. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you going all in?” 

He shrugs. “I just don’t want to hurt you this time.” 

“Arcade, she said that she can handle it,” Julie reassuringly says. “We did fine last time.” 

“But-” He cuts himself off. “Nothing. You’re right. It’ll be fine.” 

Lynn narrows her eyes. “But  _ what _ ? You don’t sound so sure.” 

“It’s just-” He stops himself again, then lowers his voice. “Vulpes said you were supposed to die before. He was counting on it.” 

“What?” Julie gasps. “But we wouldn’t-” 

Arcade interrupts. “But we  _ could _ . It would be all too easy to kill her by accident, Julie! By the Gods, if Ulysses hadn’t intervened, she  _ would  _ have died! We didn’t know what we were doing, we were trying to work with a pattern that didn’t correspond to the problem, and we didn’t know when to stop!” 

“This time we know what we’re doing, though!” Julie argues. 

“Do we? Have  _ you _ ever done this before?” Julie’s silence is a clear enough answer. Lynn starts to feel nervous herself from all of the anxiety that is bouncing between them. “Have you ever even summoned  _ one  _ God? We’re trying to get a dozen at once! Anything could go wrong, Julie!” He’s visibly shaking now. 

Lynn wraps an arm around his shoulder. “Don’t talk like that. You think I would let myself be killed that easily? Me,” she reaches up and touches her eye, where the circle of silver stars are surrounded by swirls of silver paint, “me, who the Gods thought worthy to mark as a hero? I don’t think they’d intend for me to die doing something so mundane as a summoning ritual.” 

“She’s right,” Julie says, “they wouldn’t put in her in this position if she couldn’t handle it. We just have to have faith.” 

“But it will hurt, won’t it?” Arcade asks. “We really hurt you the last time. Even when we were doing it right, it still was really bad for you.” 

“Of course it hurt,” Lynn shivers at the memory.  _ I had felt like I was dying for some part of it. But that doesn’t matter. I’ve made my decision to do this anyway.  _ “But I know what I’m getting into this time. You don’t have to step careful around me or hold back.” 

Arcade straightens his back and takes a deep breath. “You’ll tell us if it hurts too much, right? We hear you scream, we’re going to stop.” He wraps his arm around her shoulder. On her other side, Julie puts an arm around her waist. They both close their eyes. 

Lynn has but a second to make a choice. She takes a linen rag from her pocket and stuffs it into her mouth, then puts her hands down on the chalk.  _ I won’t let a little discomfort won’t stop us from doing this. Although if I don’t die right now, Arcade will probably kill me later.  _

This time, they both let power flow through her gently, then with more force. Lynn focuses on bringing them together, visualizing pouring two pitchers of water into a single bowl. It hurts, of course, but it isn’t excruciating.  _ I can handle this. I’ve done it before.  _ Lynn breathes steadily through her nose and, after a few minutes, the energy weaving throughout her body settles. She guides it through her hands and into the chalk. 

The candles in the room wink out, as if extinguished by a gust of wind. In the sudden darkness, the chalk circle begins to glow. 

Julie starts humming. Arcade joins in. Lynn bites down on the rag as her body starts burning. Then that same energy shoots around the circle and comes back cold, hitting her like a sudden dip in the deepest depths of the ocean. 

Arcade starts chanting something, but Lynn’s head is too fuzzy to pay attention to the words. It’s names, she thinks. The Gods that they are trying to summon, probably. She just focuses on breathing. 

“...and in our time of difficulty, we summon you,” Arcade finishes. In unison, he and Julie send a pulse of energy through the circle. Through her blurry eyes, Lynn sees the paint on her body begin to faintly glow. Then everything sparks and backfires, the glow suddenly disappearing. Lynn folds in half from the shock and groans, the sound muffled by the fabric in her mouth. 

“We’ve got to try again,” Arcade whispers. He starts chanting the entire sequence from the beginning. Lynn uncurls and focuses on maintaining stability.  _ Not too much longer. It’s going to work this time. It has to.  _

It doesn’t. 

Once again, the energy is insufficient, and Lynn feels like someone has simultaneously kicked her in the stomach and stabbed her in the heart. Her arms shake and her feet go numb. 

“One more time,” Julie pants. 

“One more time,” Arcade agrees. “Then we have to stop. Lynn, you doing alright?” 

“Mmmh,” she hums in affirmation. Arcade hesitates, but keeps his eyes closed for concentration. He starts chanting again. 

_ I have to do something,  _ Lynn realizes.  _ They’re not strong enough to do this on their own. They have the right idea, but without the power to back it up. I need to give them a little more energy. Too bad Ulysses isn’t- no, I have to do this myself this time.  _

“And in our time of difficulty…” 

Lynn takes one hand off the circle. She reaches for her belt and draws a dagger. 

“...we summon you.” 

She slashes across her left palm, then transfers the dagger to that slippery hand and cuts her right hand.

“Lynn?” Julie opens her eyes just in time to see Lynn put her bloody palms down on the chalk. 

The paint on her body glows so brightly that all she can see is silver, shining bright behind her eyelids. The bracelets on her wrists crack and break apart, the metal of the necklace doing the same. The chalk circle flashes white, the chalk evaporating in a puff of smoke. 

Lynn stops being aware of the world. She knows that her entire body is aching and burning, and that she’s screaming loud enough to be heard around her makeshift gag. Then her body goes numb as all of the energy is drained from it. 

A cacophony of confused voices all speak at the same time. Lynn’s eyes flutter open. She looks up and takes a shallow breath. Her chest aches and her head feels half-attached to her body.

A dozen pairs of feet stand in front of her, in the space where the circle was.  _ It worked. It actually worked. _

“Lynn!” Arcade is distantly shouting her name, leaning over her with his cool hands on her cheeks. “Oh Gods, are you alright? Come on, keep breathing!” Lynn feels her lungs stutter and suck in a shallow breath, then spasm. She coughs and limply lists to one side. Julie’s face is suddenly next to hers, yelling at someone to bring bandages and water. 

Then a hush falls. 

Lynn looks up and there are thirteen pairs of feet in front of her. 

She barely has time to tilt her head back and recognize Ulysses before she completely loses consciousness. 

* * *

The first thing Lynn hears is Veronica’s voice.  _ Great, I’m dead.  _ Then she remembers that they were trying to summon Veronica, and starts to doubt the validity of that assumption. 

Voices are arguing above her. She can pick out Arcade and Julie, and someone else. 

Lynn becomes aware of her body slowly. She feels soft pillows under her head. Her hands sting and prickle. Someone is spreading a cold and sharply scented balm on them, and wrapping strips of fabric around her palms. 

“No.” Arcade’s tense voice starts to come in clearly. “When she wakes, we’ll decide."

“For now, stay where you are,” Julie adds. 

“Come on, Lynn,” Veronica whispers. She must be the one wrapping her hands. “Wake up soon, or otherwise this argument is about to get much worse.” 

Lynn wants nothing more than to sink back into the deep and inviting slumber that she is teetering on the brink of. But she struggles and forces her heavy eyes open, just a crack before they fall again. She tries again and manages to keep them open. 

The pearl is hovering just in front of her face, and Lynn stares at it for a second before blinking. 

She tries to form words, but all that comes out of her throat is a quiet groan. It’s enough to get the room’s attention, though. All chatter and conversation stops. 

“Lynn,” Julie sighs in relief, and holds a cup to her lips. “Here, drink this. It will make you feel a little better.” Lynn takes a few sips of the water. It’s minty and sharp, and gives her a whisper of energy, enough to keep her eyes open without much effort. 

“You really scared us, Lynn,” Veronica says, going to her other side and assisting Julie in propping Lynn up on some cushions. Behind her, Christine silently hovers. “I get summoned here and the first thing I see is you, half-dead on the floor?” 

“Mm sorry,” she mumbles. 

“She’s awoken now- you said you’d decide when she wakes,” a deep voice says. Lynn suddenly remembers Ulysses’ presence. Arcade stands between them. “Don’t mean her any harm...I don’t go back on my word, doctor, if I say something- I mean it.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that?” Arcade argues. “Last I heard, you weren’t on  _ our  _ side.” 

Lynn frowns and tries to follow the conversation.  _ Ulysses...is allied with Caesar? He sure hasn’t had any problem with helping me, though.  _

Ulysses laughs, a rumbling chuckle that makes Julie and Veronica tense. “And you don’t think I can see what’ll happen if I stick with him? Legion was doomed from the start- only did what you should have done eons ago, Arcade: pretend to side with Caesar- get him off my back... then turn the tables when he least expects it.”  

“I don’t believe-” 

_ I do.  _ “-cade,” Lynn hoarsely whispers. Arcade stops talking and turns, hackles raised and eyes stormy.  _ Oh. He’s absolutely livid. Oops.  _ Lynn musters all her strength to raise her arm a few inches, then lets it fall. “Come’ere.” 

Arcade kneels at her side. “What? You want a lecture on how you somehow managed to be even more idiotic this time around? Because I’m more than ready to start yelling at you for, oh, let’s see,  _ gagging yourself  _ so we wouldn’t know that we were starting to  _ kill  _ you?” 

“Mm alright,” Lynn hums.  _ He’s just worried.  _ “Ulysses?” 

Arcade sighs and rubs his eyes. He shares a look with Julie. “He claims that you summoned him by accident. I don’t trust him. I think he’s lying.” 

“I trust him,” she says. “What’re you arguing ’bout?” 

Veronica answers for them. “They’re wiped out and can’t do anything to get you back on your feet. Nobody else here can use their power like that, except for Ulysses. He proposed his help, but...” 

“But we don’t trust him near you,” Julie explains. “Not when you’re like this.” 

Lynn thinks it over.  _ We don’t have time for me to rest and recover at a normal pace. If we’re going to take down Caesar, we need to act fast. And Ulysses has done nothing but help me this whole time. If there’s anyone I can trust with my life, it’s him.  _ “Let ‘im do it,” she mumbles, then weakly coughs. 

“Lynn-” Arcade starts to protest. 

“Do it,” she orders, taking a few shallow breaths. “It’s my decision to make. And I say yes.” 

Julie looks like she wants to argue, but sighs instead. She waves Ulysses over. “Just because Lynn says it’s alright doesn’t mean we won’t be watching you. You try anything…” She leaves the sentence hanging, but the unsaid threat is there all the same. 

“Understood.” Ulysses slowly walks over and deliberately kneels at her side. This is the first time that Lynn has ever seen him in person that she can clearly remember. His dreadlocks shimmer with small pearls, a thin crown of red and white coral perched on top of his head. When he reaches out an arm to touch Lynn’s hand, a bracelet of tiny shells jingles. 

Veronica strokes Lynn’s hair. “Remember, just breathe.” 

She lets out a breath and shallowly takes in another. Her chest feels tight and heavy.  _ Maybe I was dying. I don’t feel completely alive right now.  _

Ulysses picks up her hand and closes his eyes. Immediately, Lynn feels better, lighter. What feels like a cool breeze fills her body. Her lungs expand fully and contract, and Lynn feels her heart beat more strongly. “Good,” Ulysses rumbles. “You’ve got lives still left in you.”

“I feel better already,” Lynn says. The light-headed sensation fades and she starts being able to feel her fingers and toes again. They tingle and sting, but she breathes through it and the pain fades from her entire body. Lynn feels stronger; not strong enough to run a marathon, but good enough to sit up on her own. Maybe even stand up. 

“There,” Ulysses says, and stops. He pats her hand. 

Veronica rubs her shoulder. “You think you’re good to stand up now?” 

Lynn nods and clears her throat. “I think I can try.” She looks up at Ulysses. “Thank you.” 

Veronica and Julie both take one of her arms and help her onto her feet. Lynn wobbles, but stays on her feet.  _ Alright, I’m fine. It’s time to start worrying about the greater problem on our hands.  _ “We need to start planning,” she says, and takes a shaky step towards a side chamber that serves as a makeshift meeting room. 

“We’re going to need another chair,” Veronica says. Christine taps her arm and goes in search of another seat.

Arcade grumbles, “just let him stand,” and Julie shoots him a dirty look. 

Lynn can’t help but hysterically giggle at the thought.  _ One of the most powerful Gods, forced to stand in a corner while a mortal gets to sit down.  _ The large group settles down in the meeting room around a table. 

She sits at the head of the table, though she feels like she shouldn’t.  _ Shouldn’t this place be reserved for a God?  _ To her right is Ulysses, then Veronica and Christine. To her left is Arcade and Julie. The rest of the Gods and Goddesses settle in their seats. 

“ So you’re all probably wondering why we gathered you here today,” Lynn says.  _ Let’s do this. Against all of us, Caesar doesn’t stand a chance.  _

* * *

Lynn sits on a bench and eats an apple that Julie had pressed into her hands, saying something about restoring her body’s natural energy. There are still preparations to be made, but everyone had insisted that she rest and conserve her energy for the upcoming fight. So she finishes her apple and moves to a plate of grains and beans, watching the room. 

Ulysses passes Arcade and they share a moment of wary eye contact before Ulysses reaches out and touches his shoulder, briefly closing his eyes. Arcade immediately perks up and looks more awake, calmer.  _ Good,  _ Lynn thinks.  _ Everyone was so concerned about me, they forgot that Arcade and Julie were in bad shape too.  _

“Christine,” Ulysses rumbles, and the Queen of the Underworld nods and genuinely smiles at him, making a gesture with her hands. Veronica detaches herself from Christine and walks over to Lynn. 

“They’re going to be catching up for a while,” she says. “Mind if I sit with you?” 

“Sure thing,” Lynn says, and finishes chewing. “Did everything from the plague get worked out?” 

“Yes, but it was a good thing that I returned to help. You took care of the plague, didn’t you? Nice work. As always.” Veronica looks over at Christine. “We wouldn’t have been able to help otherwise. But they can run things for a day without us. Are you sure that you’re going to be alright?” 

Lynn finishes her food and sets down her plate. “I wasn’t so confident before, but with you at my side? I think we can take anything that House throws at us.” 

Veronica leans against her shoulder and laughs. “Wow, way to make a girl feel good about herself. And don’t forget that it won’t just be the two of us. Arcade will be there too if things get rough.” 

“Dream team,” Lynn whispers, and grins. “Vegas won’t know what hit it.” 

“That’s right,” Veronica says, and looks over her shoulder. “Well, I’ve got to get back to it. You keep resting and eating, okay?” 

“You’re not my doctor,” Lynn teases. 

Veronica smiles and nods at the other side of the room. “No, but I think he  _ does  _ want to talk to you.” 

“He probably will diagnose me with  _ extreme recklessness _ . Treatment: ‘please stop’.” Despite the light tone, Lynn  _ does  _ feel a little guilty.  _ If he wasn’t a God, he’d probably blame me for greying his hair. As it is, I don’t even know if he can physically age.  _

Veronica giggles and pats her on the shoulder, then walks away and links arms with Christine. Arcade quietly comes over a few minutes later with a cup of strong-smelling herbal tea, setting it down next to her before heavily sitting down himself. 

“I’m sorry,” Lynn immediately says. “For before. I know you were worried, and I went behind your back and scared you even more.” 

Arcade sighs. “I accept your apology. And for what it’s worth, I understand why you did it.” He looks tired, rubbing his eyes. Lynn scoots a little closer to him on the bench. “It’s just that a lot has happened today, Lynn. By the Gods, a lot happened  _ yesterday _ too!” 

_ We’ve only known each for two days _ , she realizes.  _ And in that time, the whole world has been turned upside down.  _ “I can’t believe it’s only been a couple of days,” she says. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever allowed myself to get as close to anyone as I have to you,” Arcade says. “Not even Julie. You’re my closest friend, Lynn.” He gets serious. “That’s why I was so upset before. You got a little close to the edge for my comfort. I couldn’t even  _ imagine  _ losing you on top of everything else that’s gone wrong. And if the Wordless One herself came to take you away, I don’t know what I’d do.” 

Lynn squirms at his honesty.  _ I don’t like to think about myself dying. Or what’d happen to those I left behind. Until recently, there wasn’t anyone that would notice if I was gone.  _

Arcade continues, “and Julie would be devastated. By Tandi, we’d  _ all  _ be heartbroken if something happened to you. So, you know,” he takes a small charm from his pocket, “don’t die. Hopefully this will help.” 

The charm is a small piece of flattened metal. Two perpendicular lines are etched in the shape of a plus sign. Arcade drops it into her palm. “This will let you avoid an attack, but only once. I didn’t have time to make something sturdier.” He cracks a smile. “I know you’ll use it wisely.” 

“Thank you,” Lynn says, then impulsively pulls him into a hug. He tightly hugs her back. “You keep yourself safe too.” 

“I’ll try.” Arcade says, then pats her on the back. “I’ve got to get back to preparations.” As he walks away, Julie puts a hand on his shoulder and whispers something that makes him smile. 

Julie glides over to Lynn and gracefully settles on the bench. 

Lynn smiles and feels some of her tension melt away as Julie puts an arm around her waist. They sit in silence for a few minutes before Julie speaks up. 

“Are you going to be alright?” She asks. 

“I think I’ll make it,” Lynn replies, leaning on Julie’s shoulder. “How about you?” 

“I’m fine,” Julie waves off her concerns. “I just want to have one last moment with you before all of the chaos to come. Lynn, I want you to know something. When I first kissed you, I thought it was just something casual. You know, mortals lead such short lives. To us, they’re leaves on a tree. A blink of an eye, and you turn brown and fall off. But now...” 

Lynn frowns. “Now you’re saying that something has changed.” 

“Exactly. If we all make it out of this, I really want to get to know you better, Lynn.” Julie turns to her, her face just inches from Lynn’s. 

“Me too,” she whispers.  _ To be seriously involved with a Goddess? It seems crazy to even imagine. But Julie is so down to earth, I don’t think there’d be any problems.  _ “When we get done with this, let’s just go somewhere. A vacation together, just the two of us. Maybe to the mountains.” 

Julie leans in and brushes her cheek with her lips. “Sounds excellent.” Then she leans in and kisses her. 

Lynn wants to take this moment, and every other moment, and slow it down. She tries in vain to memorize Julie’s scent, the way it’s sharp and herbal, yet so soft and sweet. She wants to learn every inch of her body, wants to preserve the way she kisses. But too soon, they pull apart. 

Julie chuckles. “Don’t look now, but Arcade is doing that awkward thing where he needs to come over and talk to me, but he doesn’t want to intrude on us.” 

“You’d better go relieve him of his suffering,” Lynn says, and kisses her on the cheek one last time before fully letting go.  _ She’s not going to be with us. We decided that she’ll be needed elsewhere, and I still think that decision is the right one. It doesn’t make me feel any less nervous, though. It’s probably how Veronica feels being separated from Christine.  _ “Good luck. I’ll see you later.” 

“You too,” Julie says, then stands up and walks away. 

Lynn looks down and back up, and realizes with a start that Ulysses is standing in front of her. 

“I’ve got a minute, mind if I sit with you?” 

She nervously swallows and pats the bench next to her.  _ This is the God that has watched over me for my entire life. He’s protected me and guided me, even when I didn’t know it. Not only that, but Ulysses Ruler of the Sea is no minor God. No, he rivals even Caesar and Kimball in power.  _

Ulysses sits. “Knew that your path would lead you here. Where you are now, glad to see you made it. Wasn’t easy. Wish I could have helped you more, but this is your fate- you had to get here by yourself.” 

“So you saw that all of this would happen?” Lynn asks.  _ Now the pearl makes much more sense. Why give a protection charm that just works against poison unless you knew that the person would get poisoned on multiple occasions? And I’m almost glad that he didn’t help me more. He’s right: this is my destiny, and I have to do this by myself.  _

“Obviously. Years ago- back when you were on that beach, I knew that I had to secure the future, the one that was to come.” He gives her a lopsided grin. “Wanted to be on the winning side.” 

Lynn laughs. “The winning side, huh? That’s comforting to hear.”  _ That’s more comforting than he knows. A vote of confidence unparalleled by any other. He can literally see the future and see that we’re going to win. Of course, we still have to actually accomplish the task.  _ “Got any advice for me, or would that be considered cheating?” 

He ruefully shakes his head. “Unfortunately. Can’t tamper with the future, not that I need to. Got one last blessing to give, though. Leveling the playing field, that’s not cheating.” He reaches for her feet where her weapons lay, and picks up her quiver of arrows. Curiously, Lynn watches as he traces a finger around the edge of the quiver. It turns silver. “Unlimited arrows,” he explains, then takes one of the arrows and holds it between his fingers. 

He taps the wood and the point of the arrow changes. Instead of a plain steel arrowhead, the shaft is split into three points, like the extra-sharp tines of a fork. A smile creeps onto her face.  _ Like a trident.  _ Ulysses taps the arrow and it returns to normal. Lynn grabs one and tries it, eyes widening when it works. 

“Thank you,” she says, putting the arrows back in the quiver. “That will be very useful.”  _ And really deadly.  _

Ulysses looks to the side and Lynn follows his gaze. One of Arcade’s friends, an old woman, has manifested a winged chariot pulled by spectral horses. 

“Time to go,” he says, and helps her stand with a hand on her elbow. “Got one last tip for you,” he taps the bright silver paint still decorating her body. “This is not going to wash off.” 

“It’s  _ what _ ? I’m going to be coated in silver paint forever?”  _ I already get enough attention from my eye, but that's easy enough to hide. But my whole body? _

Ulysses chuckles. “Once marked by the Gods, a second time- how much does that matter?” 

Lynn sighs.  _ He's got a point, I suppose. It's not like I'm not already special.  _ She picks up her weapons. Ulysses flicks his wrist and a barbed trident appears in his hand. 

“Ready?” He rumbles.

“As I'll ever be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ulysses is a character that I've never written before, so he was interesting to write. He's kind of got an odd cadence, lots of punctuation (ellipses, commas, dashes).
> 
> A lot of characters just got mentioned/introduced in this, and I'm not going to spend 10 minutes describing everyone. Also, Christine was not supposed to be summoned, but I for some reason had already decided on twelve people, and I started running out of people who weren't Legion but who weren't NCR either. 
> 
> Gods can ignore each other's summons because otherwise, Caesar could have just done a ritual and forced Arcade to be summoned to his temple. But they're obligated to listen to mortals' concerns.
> 
> Next chapter: things happen. idk, but it's going to be the fight. People are going to die, for sure.


	11. Chapter Nine: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before our team can confront House, they must face their greatest fears...
> 
> Warnings for: snakes, character death (imaginary but graphic), injury, drowning, hallucinations, panic attacks, and blood.

Vegas is quiet and dark. Lynn peeks around the corner of House’s temple. Across the street, their allies are beginning their assault on Caesar’s forces, creating a distraction so that Lynn, Veronica, and Arcade can slip unhindered through the doors of the tower. Vic the centaur is suspiciously absent from the door.

The antechamber is still and covered with dust. Before the trio can reach the elegant spiral staircase, the space in front of them shimmers and House appears. 

“You’re late, Courier,” he says. “I can only theorize that all of this petty disturbance outside must be the cause.” 

Lynn can tell that this is just an illusion, but when they formulated their plan, they realized that House’s actual Godly form must be hidden somewhere in his temple. They had theorized that it would reside somewhere on the top floor, and part of their plan had involved getting all of the way up there undisturbed. 

Lynn hesitates, then decides not to bow. Her hand is on her sword, ready for an attack. Veronica flanks her, Arcade hovering behind her back. “House.” 

He raises a dark eyebrow. “You have the artifact, do you not? Well, hand it over to Vic.” He inclines his head in a graceful nod to the staircase, where Vic waits. 

“No.” Lynn watches a series of emotions flash across his face. Anger, disbelief, annoyance. 

“Stop playing around, Courier. You have no idea how  _ long  _ I’ve searched for that object. Now. Hand. It. Over.” 

She stands her ground. “I said no. I’m not giving it to you.” It hangs heavy around her neck, and she clutches it tightly with one hand. 

House stormily glares at her. “Really? I invite you to think  _ carefully  _ about what you’re doing. Betraying me, with all of my powers at my service, in my own temple? You really think you and your pathetic friends can face  _ my  _ might?” He raises a hand and Veronica tenses, spear held at the ready. “You still have a chance to do right. Now be a good Courier and give it to me!” 

“No. It belongs to  _ me _ .” 

“I don’t even think killing you is serious enough punishment,” he snarls. “I think I want to make you _suffer_. You may think you’ve won in keeping the artifact, but I guarantee that I’ll get it back, after I’ve _burned_ you from the inside out.” He waves a hand. 

Lynn expects an attack, maybe from Vic or one of his attendants. Instead, her stomach lurches as the floor falls out from under them. 

The last thing they see before they plummet into a dark and unknown place is House, standing and smirking down at them, before he flickers and disappears. 

* * *

The three of them fall for long minutes, rolling down a smooth slide, before tumbling onto a stone floor. Veronica winces and rubs her shoulder, and Arcade grumbles as he helps Lynn to her feet. 

“Well, that went much worse than expected,” Lynn remarks. She looks around at the empty corridor stretching in front of them. “We have no way to go but forward. We should be ready for anything, though. We don’t know what House is capable of.” 

The hallway is dark and cold as they walk down the narrow tunnel. Lynn’s hand is on her sword, Veronica’s on the handle of her spear. Arcade keeps looking behind them, shoulders tense.

Lynn feels something brush her ankle and she jumps. 

“What is it?” Veronica whispers. Lynn checks her feet and finds nothing. 

“Must have been a rat or something. Let's move on.” A minute later, what feels like a cold slimy hand brushes her foot. She shivers and tries to ignore it, but can't help checking the ground every few feet.  _ House surely has monsters all over this tunnel to stop us. What if - What if it grabs me and pulls me down- _

As soon as she thinks that, she feels something roughly grab her ankle. She can't help the shriek that escapes her. She claws at her foot, but her fingers can't it pry away, and it feels like a  _ tree root, just like Elijah had used- _

“Lynn, snap out of it!” Veronica yells, shaking her shoulders, but it's like she's miles away, and all Lynn can focus on is  _ getting it off of her, just get it off- ,  _ and she doesn't realize she's screaming these words.

“Nothing's there!” Arcade shouts. “It's just a trick, Lynn!” He slaps her in the face and it's like a bucket of water thrown on her head. Whatever was grabbing her ankle is gone, and she gasps with relief. The three of them sit there for a second before Lynn rubs her eyes and stands up. 

“House must be able to create illusions from our minds,” she deduces. “He’s playing on our fears and anxieties. We'd better be on our guard.” She shivers. “He could throw anything at us to try and slow us down or stop us completely.” 

Grimly, they move on, now wary of every out-of-place noise and movement. 

Veronica is next, twitching and forcing herself not to look down, her hands clenched into fists. Lynn gives her an inquisitive and concerned look.

“Snakes,” Veronica says through gritted teeth. “They-” she whimpers and shuts her eyes, “they're not real.” 

“That's right,” Arcade confirms. “It's just a trick.” 

“They're not real,” she repeats. “They're not real.” She opens her eyes and peeks down, then relaxes. After taking a deep breath, she nods. “I'm good. Let's-” 

Arcade sucks in a breath, too quick and too panicked. He looks somewhere over Lynn’s shoulder. 

“Arcade…” Lynn warily says. His eyes are unfocused and wide. 

“No,” he says, in a tone that's too close to pleading for comfort, “you're dead. You can't- no, stop it!” He starts forward, hands raised. 

“Arcade, come on. You know this isn't real,” Veronica says, voice shaking, the stress of the last few minutes starting to wear her down too. 

He's now looking at the space behind Lynn's back. “Don't- Vulpes,  _ please,  _ just leave her alone, don't- no,  _ stop! Lynn! _ ” He screams. 

Lynn realizes what he must be seeing, and doesn't hesitate to slap him in the face as hard as she can. He reels and rubs his cheek. 

“Sorry,” she quickly apologizes. “Are you okay?” 

He rubs his eyes and runs a hand through his hair. “Yes. Let's just- let's just move on.”

The tunnel seems to stretch on for an hour, but Lynn knows it can't be more than ten minutes before they emerge into a larger round room. The walls are blank and there are no other passages to be found. The three of them split up and search the walls. 

“Must be a stroke of bad luck,” a very familiar voice croons from behind her. Lynn turns, already knowing that this is another one of House’s tricks. Benny stands in the middle of the room, dressed exactly as she remembers him. 

“You can't scare me with this, House!” Lynn yells, startling her companions. She walks confidently towards fake-Benny, who remains still, smirking slightly at her. She rears back her fist to strike the illusion when she feels a piece of the stone under her foot shift with a soft  _ click.  _

“Lynn!” Veronica yells, starting forward from the edge of the room, Arcade doing the same on the other side. But both of them are too late as a trapdoor opens in the floor underneath Lynn. She falls into the floor with a surprised shout. A stone wall falls across the middle of the room with a heavy thud, slamming down between Arcade and Veronica. 

“Veronica?” Arcade yells, banging his fists on the wall, but gets no response. Behind him, a doorway opens. He takes a deep breath and walks through the door and further into the maze, alone.

* * *

Veronica doesn't like the silence. She doesn't like being alone like this; she never has. Her footsteps echo, her breathing is too loud in her ears, she wishes she had someone to at least keep her company. 

_ What if this all is one big illusion, and we're all still together? No, that's too complicated. I'm just getting paranoid.  _

She peeks around a corner, but can't sense anyone there. Veronica hears a soft footstep behind her and turns. 

“Ungrateful daughter, how could you have left me to die so cruelly?” Elijah stands there and snarls at her. She shakes her head and says nothing. 

_ It's just an illusion, he's not really there, none of this is real. Just ignore him and walk away. _

“You're just going to abandon me like that? Your own father?” He growls. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him raise a bow and nock an arrow, pointing it straight at her back. 

She knows it's not a real weapon, yet she can't help her instinctive reaction. As he fires the arrow, she dodges out of the way. But she hears the arrow hit something else- no,  _ someone  _ else. Veronica turns and puts her hand over her mouth to cover a gasp. 

Christine sinks to her knees, the arrow embedded in her chest. 

“No, no!” Veronica says, kneeling at her side. “Gods, Christine, please. This isn't real, it  _ isn't,  _ please. Don’t- please  _ don't- _ ”

Christine-  _ fake  _ Christine- silently groans, then her eyes close and she falls limp in Veronica’s arms. And she  _ feels  _ real, heavy and cold, her chest unmoving under Veronica’s hands. 

Veronica can't help the tears that roll down her cheeks, can't help but sob at the mere  _ idea  _ of losing Christine.  _ I don’t know where she is right now. What if something happens and I never get to say goodbye? _

She tries to pull herself together and just let go of her girlfriend's body, but she just can't distance herself from the illusion. She sits like that for minutes, hours, what does it matter…

Finally, she remembers Lynn.  _ She's out there somewhere, alone. She needs me. Arcade does too. If nothing else, I need to go find them.  _ With lead-filled arms and legs, she lets go of Christine ( _ fake Christine, none of this is real) _ and stands up. With one hand on the wall keeping her upright, she starts to trudge down the hallway. She doesn't look back. 

* * *

Lynn lands heavily on a stone floor. Above her, the trapdoor closes with a rumble, leaving her alone in a shadowy corridor. She rubs her knee and stands. 

_ The only way to go is forward. I don't think I was invested in killing House before, but after messing with us this badly, I'm not going to hesitate. I don't care if he's a God, he doesn't get to hurt us like this and get away with it. _

She only walks for a few minutes before she hears water trickling. She ignores it.  _ It’s probably a trick. It’s all a trick.  _ She reaches a dead end. When she turns to go back, a wall slams down in front of her. At her feet, water starts soaking her boots and rising, inch by inch, up her legs. 

She splashes through the water to start banging on the wall.  _ This is an illusion. It has to be. Is the wall even there? It feels real. The water feels real too. How good can House get with these illusions?  _ She shivers as the water reaches her knees. 

She can't find an exit. The water is up to her waist, quickly flooding even more and rising to her shoulders. She stays afloat as it gets too deep for her to be able to touch the ground, struggling and splashing to keep her head above water. 

Then her head hits the ceiling. And the water keeps rising. She sucks in one final gasp of air before the water reaches the ceiling and her head goes under. 

_ There's nowhere to go, I'm going to drown,  _ she puts a hand over her mouth, trying to fight her panic and failing.  _ Is this a trick? It feels so real, I'm drowning, I can't breathe, oh Gods I'm going to die alone… _

The water is all around and it's too dark for her to look for an exit, all she can do is wait for her lungs to run out of air. Her head is floaty and she can't think about anything besides how her lungs burn and how her vision is blurring with more than just water.  She runs out of air and instinctively gasps, choking on the liquid flowing into her lungs. It's cold and heavy, and she feels herself start to go numb, the room blurring in front of her. 

_ I'm dying, I'm actually dying, this is real, oh Gods, House is actually killing me, I'm never going to see anyone ever again. I'm never going to know if Veronica or Arcade or Julie are safe, I'm never going to get out of here, Vegas is going to be physically destroyed by Caesar or spiritually killed by House, and I can't let that happen, I can't believe I'm not going to be able to stop him now…  _

Her fingers humbly touch her face and trace over her eyes, across the stars emblazoned there. Through half-lidded eyes, she sees the silver paint on her body start to glow.  _ Please let this all be a trick. How ironic would it be for me to die by drowning after all that I've survived? _

Just as she teeters on the brink of consciousness, the illusion snaps and breaks, and she can breathe again. The floor is dry underneath her knees, and she clutches the front of her dry tunic and gasps, chest heaving too fast. In front of her, the hallway stretches on. 

_ It actually was a trick. But I still feel lightheaded. Could the illusion still have killed me?  _

Lynn puts one trembling hand on the wall and pulls herself up, her legs threatening to buckle underneath her. She sniffs and brushes a few tears away with the back of her hand.

_ How dare House scare me like that. He made me think I was going to die. How dare he go that far. How dare he take my sense of safety away from me. He's going to pay for this.  _ She scowls and breathes through her nose, tamping down the residual panic and turning it into anger, a useful emotion.

The corridor in front of her is dim and empty.  She walks on. 

* * *

Arcade didn't think he was afraid of the dark. But alone in this hallway with only an occasional sconce to light his way, he can't help but shiver in the shadows. The passageway seems darker without company. It's quiet and still, even the flames of the torches muted. 

_ Whatever happens, it will only be an illusion,  _ he reminds himself.  _ House is certainly going to try and trick us again to stop us from getting to him. And whatever he's going to throw at me next, it's going to be whatever scares me most. I have to be ready.  _

He's prepared for someone to appear, or for something to jump out and try to attack him. What he's not prepared for, however, is for an arm to grab him and for a knife to be pressed to his throat. 

“Don't move,” a deep voice says.

_ It's just a trick, there's no one there,  _ Arcade reasons, and tries to just keep on walking. But the knife presses more firmly against his skin. Arcade tries to struggle against his imaginary captor, but they just growl and hold him more tightly. Almost as an afterthought, they snap a jangling bracelet to his wrist, and Arcade feels his connection to his Godly powers fizzle, and he knows that he can’t just leave, not now. 

“You're not real, just let me go!” He says. The person just laughs, and Arcade knows that deep chuckle, and that's  _ Ulysses behind me, he betrayed us, Gods, where's Lynn and Veronica, did he kill them, I can't believe he was still loyal to Caesar this whole time, I should have known…  _

Arcade tries to slam his elbow back, to headbutt him, but Ulysses just sighs and stabs him in the arm with the knife. 

He screams and curls his hand around the wound, every light in his brain flaring in pain.  _ Is this- is this actually happening, it feels so real, how did he get in here, am I really injured, could House even fabricate something like that…  _

Ulysses takes advantage of his shock and pushes him to the ground. It  _ hurts _ and Arcade doesn’t understand how an illusion could make him feel like this, because this feels  _ real.  _ His injured arm throbs and there’s blood seeping through his fingers and dripping down onto the floor. He cradles his arm and shuts his eyes, and  _ maybe this will all just go away, because this can’t really be happening.  _

“Caesar,” Ulysses rumbles. “Glad you could arrive so soon. Got a  _ present  _ for you.” He puts his hand on the top of Arcade’s head. 

_ No, no, no, this isn’t real,  _ Arcade tries to convince himself, pushing down the nausea that threatens to rise. He keeps his eyes squeezed shut.  _ He’s not there. I’m alone. If I open my eyes, there’s not going to be anyone there.  _

“Impressive work, Ulysses,” Caesar’s voice says, and another hand ruffles his hair before gently cupping Arcade’s chin and tilting his face up. “You got rid of that  _ Courier _ , I presume? There’s no risk of any annoying rescue missions?”

Arcade reluctantly opens his eyes. Caesar is kneeling in front of him and Arcade feels himself start to shake, eyes widening.  _ This is actually- no, please no, Caesar’s here and I can’t run fast enough to get away and he’s got me, and he- what did he do to Lynn, where is she, if Caesar’s here then that means that our plan failed and Julie is dead too- _

“Easy enough to trick her,” Ulysses answers and chuckles. “Will no longer be bothering us.” Arcade tries to stand, tries to run, get away, but his body is frozen and his limbs won’t respond. 

He tries to stop himself from hyperventilating, but he can’t help the panic that clogs his throat and chokes his lungs, not when it’s  _ all over, there’s no way that I can escape them, there’s nowhere to even run to, what’s he going to do to me, I can’t- I can’t- _

Caesar smiles indulgently. “Oh, my foolish son. I thought you were smart. You really thought that I would just let you go? After all I did to try and convince you to join me, you were stupid enough to believe that I couldn’t just  _ take  _ what I wanted?” He frowns and swipes his hand across Arcade’s cheek. It comes back wet. “We have a long ways to go before you’re ready to be a proper son of Caesar. What will it take, Arcade? I think we have a few of your ‘friends’ tied up somewhere. Maybe for each day you refuse to shape up and just  _ obey me _ , one of them dies? That sounds fair, right? After all, you’ve already caused the death of Lynn and your friend Julie, what’s a few more bodies to your death count?” 

Arcade just shakes his head.  _ I didn’t- what if I did? What if this is real- this is real, isn’t it?  _ One hand rises to cover his mouth in horror.  _ And this is my fault, this is all my fault, if I hadn’t put them in danger, they’d still be alive, everything would be fine. So many people have died because of my stubbornness, maybe it would be better to- just to give in. Just do whatever he wants.  _

He tunes out Caesar’s and Ulysses’ whispered conversation above him and curls up, burying his head in his knees.  _ If I just give up, maybe nobody else will die. Maybe it will hurt less.  _

Arcade doesn’t know how long he sits there, listening to his heart pound and feeling his whole body shake. He can’t hear anything anymore, his ears are ringing and he doesn’t dare open his eyes for the dizziness that threatens to consume him. 

A hand shakes his shoulder. Hesitantly at first, then growing more rough and desperate. “Arcade, I don’t know what you saw, but you need to snap out of it!” Veronica’s voice yells at him, but it sounds fuzzy and distant. “Come on, at least open your eyes and look at me.” 

Numbly, he raises his head and looks at her. In the back of his mind, he realizes that his arm doesn’t hurt anymore. 

“Veronica?” he whispers, voice thick. “What- what’s going on?” He looks around, still feeling the echoes of the illusion. “I- I saw, it-it was-” 

“It was just a trick,” she says, and pulls him into a hug. He clings to her.  _ She’s not dead. It wasn’t real. By Tandi, it felt like it was really happening. House tricked me so well, I thought all of that was real. I thought that Lynn really-  _ “House really wanted you out of the picture, huh?” Veronica remarks. She helps him stand. “This place is a total maze, it’s lucky I found you.” 

“We need to get out of here,” he says, and runs a hand across his face. “We need to find Lynn.” 

Thankfully, Veronica doesn’t press him to talk about it. “I think I know the way. Come on.”

* * *

House doesn’t leave Lynn alone for more than a few minutes. She brushes off the illusions, pushes herself to just keep walking and keep breathing. 

First, she falls into a pit that doesn’t seem to end, and she’s  _ going to die, again, I can’t even see the bottom… _

Next, a crowd of imaginary people gather around her and pelt her with stones, screaming things about how she’s a heretic, a fake, just someone who’s only fit to die. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth and keeps walking.  _ He can’t stop me with this. The more he throws at me, the more desperate he gets, it only means that he’s scared. Whatever his Godly form is, it’s weak. He knows that this is the only way to stop me. Well, it’s not going to work.  _

She wades through quicksand, shakes off tree that ensnare her and whisper awful threats in her ear, flinches as Dog tears off her legs and God bites off her arms, and doesn’t do more than blink when silver fire burns her body.  _ None of this is real. I know it’s not. He can’t trick me like this.  _

Still, she walks. 

A light shines at the end of the tunnel, the narrow passageway opening out into a large rectangular room. Multiple hallways branch off from this room, all of them dark and empty. At the end of the room is a set of stairs. 

At the base of the stairs, two bodies lay unmoving. Lynn sucks in a breath. 

Arcade’s hair is no longer blond, instead dark red, blood dripping from his head and streaming down his face. His face is contorted into a grimace, his eyes closed and his hands clenched into fists. An arrow sticks out of his left temple.

Veronica is missing an arm, only a bloody stump remaining. Her own spear is impaled in her chest, and her eyes are still open, glassy and blank. 

“This isn’t real,” Lynn says outloud to convince herself. She can’t help the tears that well up in her eyes, though.  _ I don’t know where they are. How do I know that this is a trick?  _ She closes her eyes and bends over with her hands on her knees.  _ I just have to keep faith in them. I have to keep moving forward. This is what I’m most afraid of, so this has to be one of House’s illusions.  _

The anger that’s been growing in her chest ignites into a burning fury. 

“House!” Lynn shouts, fists clenched. “I’ve had  _ enough  _ of your ridiculous tricks! You can’t  _ scare  _ me anymore!” She draws her bow and nocks an arrow, tapping it once and turning it into a three-pronged weapon. “I’m coming for you and I’m going to  _ kill  _ you for what you’ve done. You’ve scared me so much, I hope you’re  _ terrified  _ right now.” 

She puts a foot on the first step of the stairs. Behind her, the room is empty, her friends’ fake corpses having disappeared. 

“You’re going to pay,” she whispers. “ _ Nobody _ hurts me like this and gets away with it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh.... I don't know what to say except maybe that I'm a little sorry? 
> 
> Veronica's fears were pretty easy to come up with, and Arcade's were easy but incredibly specific. He doesn't trust people easily, and I think he accepted Ulysses on Lynn's word, but doesn't fully trust him. Arcade is actually a pretty reasonably powerful God, and I think House knew that he would be a formidable threat (compared to Veronica, a demi-goddess, or Lynn, a mortal), and he wanted to really incapacitate him. Though Lynn suffered a lot of different illusions, she kept on pushing, while one strong one took out both Arcade and Veronica, and those two are actually a few minutes behind Lynn in the maze. By the time they reach the stairs, Lynn will already be at the top. 
> 
> Next (and final?) chapter: more death, less angst. Probably.


	12. Chapter Nine: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Trial ends. And the Sixth Trial is in there somewhere.

With each step, her anger also rises. 

The stairs are much shorter than she had anticipated. Instead of leading all of the way up to the chamber that she had originally spoke to House in, they only go up about three floors. It still feels like she’s underneath the ground. 

The stairs end. Lynn stalks into a small chamber, bow drawn and arrow already notched. Against the far wall is a bed. Someone is lying in it, but she can’t see what they look like.

“Courier,” House appears in front of her. “Against my better judgement, I’m impressed. Few can withstand even one of my strongest illusions, let alone as many as you have.” He sighs. Vic and Jane walk into the room, flanking House. “But the time for tricks is over. I suppose I’ll just have to let you battle it out like,” he wrinkles his nose, “like the low-down mortal you are.”

Lynn says nothing. She raises her bow and, after a moment of hesitation, points it at Vic. He draws a spear. Jane takes out two knives, holding them loosely in her hands.  _ I can’t underestimate either of them _ , Lynn thinks, looking between the two.  _ Just because she doesn’t look like as dangerous as Vic doesn’t mean that she will be easy to fight. I don’t really know what nymphs are capable of.  _

“Well, I suppose we’d better just get this over with.” House waves a hand and then disappears. 

Lynn reacts and fires an arrow not at Vic, but at Jane. The nymph roars in a shockingly guttural voice as it embeds in her shoulder. 

“Never thought it’d come to this, pal,” Vic cheerfully says, and Lynn has dodge as he throws his spear at her and kicks at her with his long legs. But what Vic has in bulk, he lacks in agility, and Lynn draws her sword and stays close and gets in a few good strikes. 

_ I just need to do this,  _ she reminds herself and focuses only the fight, not thinking about anything else.  _ This is something that I need to do.  _

Then it’s Lynn’s turn to get injured as Jane recovers and slashes her across the arm with a knife. She drops her sword and sees Vic raise his arm, spear pointed right at her chest. But Jane is right there too, and already grabbing another knife.  _ I need to finish at least one of them off right now. I’m not going to get anywhere in a two against one fight. _

She takes an arrow from her quiver and taps it. But instead of trying to nock it in her bow with her limited time, she darts close to Jane and stabs it into the nymph’s neck, twisting it and grimacing at the blood that flows down her arms.  _ This is not how I like to fight. And this is not how I like to kill someone. By Tandi, I don’t like to kill anyone at all.  _ She twists the arrow again and Jane’s eyes glaze over. She falls to the floor, unmoving, not even her chest rising and falling. 

Vic’s spear flashes in the corner of her eye. It’s seconds from hitting her head, and she realizes that she’s not going to be able to dodge this one. Then she remembers Arcade’s charm in her pocket. 

“What in the-” Vic yelps as Lynn is suddenly  _ just  _ out of reach of his weapon. His miss puts him off balance and she scoops up her sword from the ground and strikes. 

His body falls to the floor with a heavy thud, his hooves still twitching and his eyes wide and glassy. Lynn pants and tries not to think about the two corpses cooling at her feet. 

“House,” she whispers to herself. “That’s what I’m here for.” She walks over to the bed.

A withered and shaking figure is lying on the sheets, its shriveled head on the pillow.  _ Is this House?  _ The figure looks up at her and silently croaks. Lynn swallows and shakily holds an arrow over its chest. 

“What is the artifact for?” she asks. “Why is it so important to you?” 

House appears, and he folds his arms behind his back. He looks tired. “Nothing. It means nothing more than accomplishment, Courier. A matter of lost pride, if you will. A symbol of the power I wield, of the absolute control that I had such a secure grip on.” He coldly laughs. “Now it’s simply ironic, I’m afraid.” 

_ Really?  _ Lynn feels almost disappointed.  _ I thought it was going to be some magical object that could change the course of fate. Or something equally as powerful. But I guess this perfectly sums up House: useless. Weak. Pointless.  _

She raises the arrow and looks at House’s illusionary form. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I’ll make this quick.” 

He smiles. “You’re not sorry. And I think this was meant to be. The final piece of  _ your  _ puzzle snapping in place. Goodbye, Courier.” And then he’s gone. 

Lynn closes her eyes and does what she has to do. 

When she’s done, she turns away from the bed and startles as loud footsteps pound up the stairs. Arcade and Veronica sprint up the steps, both of them breathless. 

“Lynn,” Veronica says, and takes in the scene. “Oh Gods, you’re alright.” She runs over and hugs Lynn. 

“You’re both alive,” Lynn says in relief.  _ I think there’s a small part of me that couldn’t help but believe House’s illusions.  _ She hugs Arcade too. He runs a hand over the gash on her arm and it stops bleeding. 

A low rumbling interrupts their reunion. The walls around them start to shake, the ceiling above cracking. 

“I think House was keeping this place together,” Arcade says. “We need to get out of here.”

“One second,” Lynn says, and takes the artifact from around her neck. She runs over to the bed and slips the object into House’s gnarled and bony fingers. 

The ceiling starts to buckle, and she reaches out and grabs Arcade’s hand just as it falls. 

* * *

“Here,” Julie says, and touches Ulysses’ chest. A faint glow emanates from her hands, and the wounds on his body start to close. 

“Don’t know what I expected from Caesar,” Ulysses grunts and gets to his feet. “But throwing a spear at me himself? Not his style.” On his other side, Christine pats his shoulder and gives him a thumbs up. Julie reaches over and touches her head, stopping the bleeding from a small but deep wound there. 

“We’d better-” Julie is cut off by a rumble that shakes Caesar’s temple. The three of them share a worried glance. “Let’s get outside. Lynn should have been done by now.” They leave the rest of their companions to finish up the remaining soldiers in the temple. 

Outside, the rest of their team is shepherding deities into Kimball’s old temple, the location they deemed the safest for those unable to fight. 

What’s most noticeable is House’s grandiose tower, which is creaking and groaning, cracks shooting up and down it. Julie gasps as part of it collapses. 

“They’re still in-” 

With a flash, three people teleport into the space right in front of them. 

* * *

Lynn doesn’t have time to close her eyes, the sudden change of place nauseating her. When her feet land on the ground, she almost falls over, but a pair of hands catch her. 

“Lynn?” Julie says, and steadies her. “You did it? House is dead?” Lynn nods and rubs her eyes. Veronica and Christine silently hug. 

“Caesar is dead?” Arcade asks, and Lynn notices him visibly flinch at the sight of Ulysses.  _ I don’t know what House made the two of them see. But since they were so far behind me in the maze, it must have been something horrible.  _

“Yes.” Ulysses says. “We’re almost done with the rest. Easy.” Julie rolls his eyes, and he sighs. “Manageable. Still alive, aren’t we?” 

_ I can’t believe our plan actually worked.  _ Lynn looks up at House’s crumbling tower.  _ Nothing went seriously wrong. Nothing that we couldn’t deal with, anyways. Now Vegas is free from tyranny, and we can start- _

An earthquake shakes the ground and the entire mountain of Vegas shifts under their feet. 

“What?” Lynn says, managing to stay on her feet. “What’s going on?”

“Oh Gods, House must have been keeping all of Vegas stable,” Veronica says, one arm around Christine and the other holding onto a tree. Something in the ground cracks. 

“This is all going to fall apart unless we do something, and fast,” Arcade notes, face pale. Everything suddenly tilts and Lynn stumbles and falls, skidding on her knees and scraping her hands. 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t have- no, I made my choice.  _ She picks herself up and helps Ulysses to his feet.  _ The Sixth Trial: a choice. And I made the choice. Killing House was what we needed to do.  _ “What do we do?” 

Above them, the sky swirls dizzyingly. The clouds below churn and roll. 

“I don’t know!” Julie says. “I don’t know what we could possibly do!” She narrowly avoids a crack in the ground that forms under her feet. But she steps backward instead of forward, and the crack spreads into a fissure that separates her from the others. 

“Julie!” Arcade shouts, and jumps the gap to join her. Then everything is bright and then dark again, then bright as the moon rises and falls in seconds, followed by the sun, followed by the moon again. More cracks in the ground form, and Lynn’s head hurts from all of the flashing lights and unstable ground. 

She’s brought to her knees by a bone-shaking earthquake. When she struggles to her feet, the cracks in the ground have separated her from the others.  _ I don’t think it’s just Vegas that’s being affected. It feels like the entire world is falling apart. What have we done?  _

The sky above turns dark, as if each star was a torch that had been blown out by a particularly strong gust of wind. Even the moon is gone. Lynn can’t see more than a foot in front of her as  _ every  _ light in Vegas - no, in the  _ world _ \- is extinguished. Except for one. 

She looks up and sees something unfathomably bright hurtling down towards her. Without thinking, she holds out her hands to catch it. 

Time stops. She’s holding something airy and bright. It feels like it’s made out of pure light. Everyone around her is frozen. Except for one person. 

“Got a choice to make, Courier,” Ulysses says. “The end, the moment you’ve been heading towards your whole life. That star won’t stay in your hand forever. Needs someplace to go.” 

Lynn feels frozen, staring down at the star in her hands.  _ This is the choice. Killing House wasn’t my last trial, this was. But what’s my choice between?  _

She’s torn between two desires: one part of her screams to drop the star, to get it as far away from her as possible. The other part of her heart aches in longing, and wants her to hold the star close and make it a part of her. 

“What are my options? What did you see?” She asks. 

Ulysses smiles. “Many twists and turns of fate. Two options lie before you, and each could go one way or another. Say you drop it.” He holds up one finger. “It shatters into a million pieces and everyone in this world perishes. Quick. Painless.” 

He holds up another finger and ignores her look of horror. “Or Vegas burns. Every God feels a shard of the star pierce their heart; none survive. One mortal out of four feels their heart cease to beat. Humanity will rebuild.” 

Lynn shakes her head.  _ Both of those are awful. Either everyone dies, or all of my friends and a large portion of the world perishes.  _ “What if I keep it?” 

“Two possibilities.” Ulysses holds out one hand. 

“You are torn apart from the inside out. Slowly. When your body is gone, your soul will never escape eternal torment. One out of every ten mortals will succumb to a sudden and fatal heart attack.” Ulysses looks down, face unreadable. “One of your friends will die trying to save you.” 

Lynn curls her fingers around the star. “What’s the other possibility?” 

He holds out his other hand and smiles. “I don’t know. But all will survive, you included.” 

_ Either a lot of people die, or there’s a chance that I will suffer until the end of time. But there’s also a chance that everything will be alright. I just have to risk eternal torment to get it. But my other option is horrible. If I survive, all of my friends will die.  _

She takes a deep breath and feels the star start to burn her fingers.  _ I’ve got to risk it. Otherwise, I’m damning every God and crippling humanity. The Gods marked me for a reason. I’m not backing down now.  _

“I’ve made my choice,” she says, and around her the world starts to slowly move until it snaps back into focus. 

Lynn doesn’t let herself hesitate. She tightens her grip on the burning star and shoves it into her own chest just over her heart. 

“Lynn, no!” Julie screams, but it's too late as the light absorbs into her body. For a second, Lynn feels nothing different. 

Then she's brought to her knees as a fire rips through her body, sparks of pain shooting down her arms. She hunches over with her arms around herself and gasps. 

“What's happening to her?” Veronica whispers, and Lynn realizes that everything around her is silent. Nothing is shaking, nothing is being torn apart. But the fissures in the ground remain, and no light is to be found. 

“Patience,” Ulysses warns, but he looks worried. “Time will tell.” 

Lynn coughs. Something is rising in her throat, her stomach churning with nausea. She clamps a hand over her mouth and struggles to breathe without throwing up. Whatever wants to come out of her is hot and shining bright through her fingers, and with a painful heave, the star forces itself out of her mouth and back into her hands. 

Ulysses gasps and holds his head, eyes squeezed shut.  _ He’s seeing things,  _ Lynn realizes.  _ This is not what he saw happening. Either it was supposed to work, or it wasn’t.  _ The star starts to burn her hand. Her heart  _ aches  _ for it more than ever.

“Lynn,” Veronica says, voice shaking as the ground beneath them starts to rumble. “What’s going on? What just happened?” 

“Are- are you  _ alright _ ?” Julie asks. 

Lynn tries to form words, but only a dry cough comes out.  _ I have to try again. The other option is too horrible to even consider.  _ She closes her eyes and feels the light burn her this time, spikes of fire stabbing her stomach. It burns a path up into her chest and starts smothering her lungs, squeezing them so tightly that it hurts to breathe, and all she can do is gasp and choke. 

Then the star separates from her body, popping out of her chest and drawing a low moan from her. She takes a second to breathe and recover before looking up. 

“Arcade, get back,” she croaks. A few feet away, he pauses at the determined look in her eyes. “I mean it. Don’t touch me, don’t try to help me. Just stay back, for your own safety,  _ please _ .”  _ Either I die, or everyone here does. I can’t let the latter happen. And if I don’t make it, I can’t let what Ulysses saw come to pass. If I die, then only I die. Nobody else.  _

When she swallows the star this time, it’s not hot. Instead, it’s freezing cold, colder than Arcade’s godly power during their rituals could ever become, cold enough that she feels her eyelashes forming tiny icicles. The cold forms fingers and hands that grab her and stroke her face, shaking her body until her teeth are chattering. 

The star forces its way out her fingertips this time, burning and freezing and stabbing her a thousand times over with tiny knives. 

“Gods, we have to do something,” Julie says, eyes filled with tears. She grabs Arcade’s arm. “This is killing her.” 

“Nothing to do,” Ulysses grunts, struggling to his feet and rubbing his head. “Just wait: her choice, her fight.” 

Veronica and Christine navigate the dangerous terrain to rejoin the others. “What did you see?” Veronica asks. 

Ulysses shakes his head. “Nothing. Everything.” 

Lynn tunes them out and thinks. She ignores the star burning in her hands, she ignores the ground that starts to shake under her knees, she ignores the what-ifs and worries.  _ I have to keep trying. I can’t just give up, not this easily.  _

The next round of pain is just in her head, sparks shooting in her brain and making her skull throb. This time, when the star lands in her shaking hands, she can’t help the  _ anger  _ that rises in her chest. 

“Why are you doing this?” Lynn snaps. She doesn’t know who she’s talking to, just that she wants whoever gave her this star to just  _ stop _ .  _ Either kill me or spare me, just get it over with _ . “Stop it and just make up your mind!” She holds the star up. “Just show yourself, whoever you are!”

“Lynn-” Veronica starts. 

“Why are you testing me like this?” Lynn demands. “Haven’t I been through  _ enough  _ already? Do you need more proof of my worthiness?” She stands on trembling legs. “Because I’ll give it to you, no need to play games with me!”

“Just calm down, don’t antagonize-” Ulysses is ashen and shaking. He’s cut off by a tremor that makes him stumble. A pillar of stone rises before his face. Another pillar, then another, sprout from the ground around Lynn in a rough circle, until she can no longer see or hear her friends. 

Only the empty night sky keeps her company. But she’s not alone for long. 

Another star falls from the sky and hits the ground in front of her feet. From it springs an old woman. 

“I wonder if you know me,” she says. “Though considering all you’ve lost, it’s probably best that I introduce myself. You’ve heard my name before.” The woman gestures to a white crown on her head with a crescent moon symbol on the center. “Tandi. Pleased to finally meet you, Lynn. This meeting has been a long time coming.” 

Lynn’s not sure what to say.  _ Tandi, the goddess of...the moon? The sky?  _

As if she could hear Lynn’s thoughts, Tandi chuckles. “I’m an older deity, and it’s hard to say what I control and what I don’t. Kimball, Gods bless him, owed the entirety of his power to me. I tell the stars when to rise and I guide those such as Ulysses from afar, offering omens and hints. People know me as Goddess of the Moon and just as a very powerful goddess, and they’re not exactly wrong. And lastly, of course, all of fate answers to me.” 

“So you’re the goddess of literally everything,” Lynn blurts, and Tandi laughs out loud. 

“I guess you could say that. There were some other Old Gods, but they’ve long since moved on.” Her hands are suddenly on Lynn’s, gently wresting the star from her grasp. “From the moment the ripples of your existence first made their appearance, I knew that you were going to be special. A real hero in this world, a mortal above all others. There would be a few bumps along the way.” 

At her words, Lynn self-consciously traces the stars around her eye.

“But you’d pull through. And now you’re here.” 

“If you know all about me, then why are you doing this?” Lynn asks. “Why are you testing me like this? Isn’t my fate already decided?”

“No. This is the moment where you hang in the balance. I need to know that you are serious, that you  _ really  _ want this.” 

Lynn swallows and looks Tandi in the eyes. “Want  _ what _ ?” 

Tandi smiles. “What you want. What  _ do  _ you want, Lynn?” 

She knows. She doesn’t say anything, but she sees it. 

Vegas, a new Vegas, stands in front of her. The golden pathways have been replaced with stone, the austere gardens with sprawling forests. In her mind’s eye, she sees House’s tower replaced by a humble cottage. Children are playing in the space where Caesar’s temple was, a schoolyard in its place. 

“Interesting,” Tandi says. “Show me more.” 

So Lynn thinks about what she wants to happen to her friends. In a garden, a group of students chatter excitedly, small sprigs of cypress tucked into their belts. They stop Arcade as he walks by, one of them showing him something from a scroll. Arcade pretends to be annoyed as he answers their questions, but when he turns away, there’s a smile on his face. 

Lynn thinks and sees the gates of Vegas, a spectral chariot pulling up and depositing Veronica and Christine at the gates. They wave to Julie, who is on her tiptoes hanging a sprig of oregano in the doorway of the small cottage. Julie ducks her head into the cottage and says something and Ulysses joins her in the doorway and waves to the couple. They all gather in the homely cottage and share a meal. 

“What about you?” Tandi interrupts her vision. “Where do you fit into this picture? What’s  _ your  _ happy ending?” 

“I - I don’t know,” Lynn admits. “I don’t even know if I’m going to survive this. I want- I just want to be a part of this. I want this to happen.” 

Tandi smiles. Behind her, the moon rises. “Oh, what humble goals for such an extraordinary woman. You’re going to be something wonderful, Lynn. I can see it now. But you will be forever changed. Every mortal will look at you and know who you are. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of becoming something greater than you are now?” 

_ I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me,  _ Lynn thinks.  _ But I’m going to survive, and everything that I hope for will happen. That’s good enough for me. And Ulysses said when I met him that I was going to do amazing things.  _ “I’m prepared,” she responds. “I accept.”

“Then take your place,” Tandi says, and hands her the star. “It will join you this time. Good luck, Lynn. Pray to me anytime you’d like; you are the only mortal upon whom I’ve bestowed my gifts.” 

“Thank you,” Lynn says. “I - whatever happens, thank you. For everything.” 

She laughs and waves a hand. “You did all of the work, really. I just gave you a push in the right direction. I almost should be thanking you.” Tandi whirls, her gown swirling, and then she’s gone. With her, the pillars surrounding Lynn disappear. 

“Lynn, what happened-” 

“Are you alright-” 

All of her friends demand a million questions at once. Lynn just smiles and looks down at the star in her hands. 

Then she cradles it to her chest and breathes in deep. The star doesn’t burn or hurt this time, slipping into her body and warming her heart. It warms her like a gentle breeze, and her breaths become more than just good; it feels like she’s breathing in pure moonlight, her lungs clear and light. Something made of pure light forms on her head, and a delicate silver crown, plain and bright, settles on her hair. 

The moon slowly rises, the stars winking into the sky one by one. But that’s not the only source of light. Every drop of paint on Lynn’s body starts to glow, the silver stars around her eye lighting up. 

Her body stops hurting, her legs stop shaking with exhaustion. She can’t even remember what fatigue  _ felt  _ like anymore. Under her feet, the cracks in the ground close up, and the earth stops shaking. 

“Lynn…” Ulysses says, kneeling on the ground, eyes wide from shock. She walks over to him- she feels like she’s floating, her feet are so light and painless- and helps him stand. 

“It all worked out,” she says, then frowns at a gash on his elbow.  _ Do something about it,  _ a little voice in the back of her head whispers. Lynn touches the gash and it heals before her eyes, skin knitting back together and blood disappearing. “Oh.” She looks at her own fingertips. “ _ Oh _ .” 

She turns to Julie next, enfolding her in a tight embrace. Julie doesn’t say anything, hugging her back. Lynn strokes her hair and thinks about making Julie feel better, and Julie sighs in relief.  _ I can do something now. I don’t know exactly what yet, but I’m...not mortal anymore, am I? Tandi said that I’d become something greater than myself. _

Lynn slowly lets go of Julie and somehow senses Arcade standing several feet behind her. She only has to think  _ go to him  _ before she’s suddenly in front of him. Both of them startle from the suddenness of the event, and Arcade hesitates before hugging her. 

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Lynn admits to herself, and she’s starting to wonder what she’s become.  _ I can heal. I can sense things around me. Apparently, I can teleport too. What  _ **_can’t_ ** _ I do?  _

Veronica is next on her hug tour. Lynn looks at the fabric of Veronica’s dress and thinks  _ I want this to be blue _ . And it happens. She looks at the ground and thinks  _ I want this to be stone instead of gold _ . And it happens. 

Later, they’ll experiment and test the limits of her power. And they’ll realize that there are none. 

They wait a few days before talking about it. They let Lynn fix what she wants to fix, rebuild whole buildings in an instant, tear down others with a blink of her eye. Lynn knows what she wants, and under her supervision, Vegas begins to take a very different shape. She even makes the cottage she saw in her vision, expanding it to include as many rooms as she needs, as she wants. 

“How about that vacation to the mountains?” She asks Julie one day. “We said we’d do that once this is all over.” 

Julie hasn’t stopped looking at her in awe for a week. She keeps on tracing the lines on Lynn’s skin, keeps on kissing her just to see if it feels different. “I don’t think we have to rush that anymore, Lynn. I- what do you think you’ve become?” 

Lynn shrugs. Since the day that Tandi gave her the star, she hadn’t thought much about what had happened. It was too confusing. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve become a Goddess, haven’t I?” 

“Oh, I’m not even sure if that label is big enough to hold you,” Julie says. “You’re incredible, Lynn. You always have been.” She deeply kisses her, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck. “We have all of the time in the world now. All of eternity lies before us, Lynn. And I plan on making the most of it.” 

_ What do I want?  _ Lynn thinks, and she doesn’t have to think for long. The answer is standing right in front of her.

“I look forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring special surprise character: Tandi!   
> Me @myself while writing this chapter: ok so what does the Chip actually do. Oh wait, nothing. Great. That's good, since I honestly forgot that Lynn had it most of the time.   
> Everyone just hugs for an entire hour. It's a massive cuddle pile for the next five days.   
> Ulysses: that fight with Caesar was EASY! Julie: you almost died. Christine got a head wound. I see where Lynn gets her recklessness from. You are the worst role model.   
> This fic was just me slapping you silly with symbolism. But I loved it. Also, Lynn's super-cool trident arrows are too cool, I really wished I felt like I could have given her them earlier. But I needed her to STRUGGLE so that the end felt satisfying.
> 
> Next: a tiny tiny epilogue to match the prologue!


	13. Epilogue

“So know you have heard my story,” the storyteller says, smiling gently at the children who have sat wide-eyed for every minute. “And know you understand how our world came to know peace.”

“Is your story really true?” Someone boldly asks.

He laughs, a throaty chuckle. “Oh, what do you think?” The person who had asked skeptically shrugs. He looks over his shoulder. “What about you, Lynn? Did I tell your story true?”

The crowd gasps as a beautiful and tall woman steps out of the shadows. Her body is covered in silver paint, just as the story told, and a ring of stars surround her eye. “Oh, I think you made it sound too easy. And the part about the tower, that was a _little_ exaggerated. We had plenty of time to make it out.”

The storyteller chuckles. “I suppose. But at the time, it looked like you escaped in the nick of time.” He looks at the crowd, which is shocked and silent. Someone kneels in front of Lynn, pressing their forehead to the dusty ground. The rest of the mortals follow suit.

“Come on, no need for that. Ulysses, you made me sound scary,” she accuses. She waves at the assembled villagers to sit up.

Ulysses, the storyteller, twirls a lock of hair between his fingers. “I tried not to, but you _are_ the most powerful deity ever to exist,” he admits. “Can you really blame them for being a little in awe?”

“I suppose,” Lynn says. She kneels before a small child. “Young one, do you have any questions for me?”

The toddler nervously whispers something. Lynn leans in close and smiles.

“Yes,” she says. “Yes, I am happy now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As SOON as I realized that Ulysses was actually going to be a character, I just KNEW he had to be the storyteller at the beginning. It felt so right. 
> 
> This fic has been so fun to write! Thanks to everyone who gave me support along the way, it definitely kept me going on this long journey! Though like five new big ideas have recently come to me, I'm going to focus on finishing some of my old wips first (Flower Shop AU, you have a little bit of a new chapter started!).

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [Tumblr!](https://owlaholic68.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Now with [art!](https://owlaholic68.tumblr.com/post/166335799404/a-great-commission-by-deadmoneydlc-for-my-fic)
> 
> A board for [Team Fuck You, Dad!](https://owlaholic68.tumblr.com/post/167380398649/an-arcade-and-veronica-moodboard-aka-team-fuck) AKA Veronica and Arcade.
> 
> Now with some really cool art by kourumi on Tumblr [here.](https://kourumi.tumblr.com/day/2017/11/23/)


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